The Sword of Peleus
by 1find1
Summary: The year is 1776, and war has broken out between the British Empire and the Thirteen Colonies. In Olympus, the gods are split between supporting the dominant British and the upstart Americans. Percy Jackson, a poor worker at the London docks, just wants to survive the next few years. But as outside forces target Percy, he may have to play a bigger role in history than he wanted.
1. Trouble in the Empire

All was not well in Olympus.

In all fairness, the home of the gods could have been aptly described as "not well" for the majority of the past four thousand years. The numerous affairs, incest, and fratricide that seemed to plague the Olympic family were enough to write hundreds of epic poems. In fact, there already _were_ several epics that depicted the misadventures of the Greek pantheon, most of them about Zeus' inability to remain loyal to his wife for longer than twenty minutes. But who was counting?

Athena sat on her throne in the Olympic Council, impatiently waiting for the emergency session to begin. She was the first one here, _again_. In her thousands of years, she had never understood how divine beings capable of instant teleportation still managed to be late. She had gone ballistic when Hephaestus had shown up to Saturnalia dinner two hours late, causing an argument that may have ended up with the accidental destruction of the Roanoke colony.

Athena straightened as she heard the familiar sound of wings growing louder. In an instant, Hermes flew into the room, making two loops around the chamber before diving into his throne. Athena ducked quickly as Hermes passed over her, narrowly avoiding being kicked in the face by his wayward leg.

"It's nice to see you, Hermes," Athena said sarcastically, brushing her coat off.

Hermes grinned, seemingly unaware of her cold tone. "I see you're here first again, Athena. Speed's supposed to be my thing, you know." Hermes removed his winged cap, placing it gently on a rack attached to his throne. He took off his mail sack, pulling it over his scarlet frock coat.

"I wouldn't always be first if anyone bothered to show up on time," Athena retorted.

Hermes smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but I had some important messages to deliver. News about the war, and all that. It's not something I can put off."

"Of course," she replied icily.

The awkward moment was saved by a sudden _pop_ , as Apollo appeared in his throne with a flash of multicolored light. The god of music was all dressed up, complete with a white powdered wig and a bright yellow waistcoat that extended to the floor. Frills extended from every opening on his jacket, covering his hands and partially obscuring his face. His liberal use of white face powder made him look like a garishly-dressed ghost.

"Apollo," Athena greeted, nodding at him.

"Athena!" Apollo stood up and walked towards her, arms outstretched. Athena reflexively grabbed the dagger that was hidden in her dress. "So good to see you!" Apollo bent over and gave her a kiss on both cheeks before doing an unnecessary backflip.

Athena wiped her face, scowling. "A charmer as always, Apollo," she said, watching with some satisfaction as he gave Hermes the same treatment.

"As always," Apollo affirmed, sitting back in his throne. He pulled a violin from thin air and began lazily playing concerto pieces. "I hope this doesn't last too long. I had to leave several disappointed ladies at King Louis' party right now, and I don't know how long the memory of my magnificence will keep them waiting."

"How tragic."

"Isn't it?" Apollo finished his violin piece with a dramatic flourish, frowning slightly at the lack of adoration from his audience.

Athena sighed and settled in her throne, tapping her foot anxiously as the other gods trickled into the chamber. Soon, almost all of the Olympic Council had arrived, leaving only the two thrones in the front of the chamber empty.

Zeus thundered into the room, slamming the doors open with a gust of wind. He was wearing a dark blue coat with a golden trim, and a large cape that flew behind him. Behind him walked Hera, strutting regally in a wide dress past the Olympians.

The assembled gods were quiet as Zeus took his seat, glaring at all of them as he sat in silence. After a few seconds, he spoke in an authoritative voice.

"I am sure all of you have heard of the recent outbreak of war between Great Britain and the Colonies. Because London is currently the seat of Olympus, this affair could have a significant impact on all of us."

Ares punched the arm of his throne. "I say we crush the rebels!" His numerous military medals jangled against his blood-red jacket. "I've been wanting to test out some new muskets in battle!"

"I think we should support the Americans," Athena interjected. "Their government is based heavily off of Greek democracy. They could be beneficial to us."

Ares sneered. "Of course _you_ would support them, Athena. That Washington, he's one of yours, isn't he?"

A flush rose to Athena's face. "That's irrelevant."

Apollo looked up from tuning his violin. "I'm with Athena. These…Americans are spunky. I like them." He examined one of the strings carefully. "Plus, have you met Franklin? That man can party harder than Dionysus at Kronia." Next to him, Dionysus nodded in agreement.

A crack of lightning outside focused everyone's attention back onto Zeus. "In light of this development," he continued as if he hadn't been interrupted. "As of now, I forbid serious involvement in this situation. No god is to significantly impact the course of human events until this is over."

Apollo groaned. "Can I still perform my orchestra with Mozart? I've planned this for decades!" he whined.

Zeus rubbed his temples. "Yes, Apollo, you can still do…that. I meant anything involving the war." He eyed Ares and Athena menacingly. Athena held her ground, staring back into Zeus' cracking eyes.

Zeus sighed and pounded his lightning bolt, causing sparks to erupt from the end. "This meeting is over," he said, standing up. He disappeared in a flash of electricity, prompting the other gods to start leaving the chamber.

Athena fumed silently over Zeus' proclamation. She glared at Ares as he walked out, gripping her dagger. In response, Ares pulled out a musket from the air.

"See you soon, sister," he said, winking.

Athena ground her teeth in frustration. "We'll see about that," she muttered before exiting the chamber in a flash of gray light.

It was a cold, rainy day in London, as were most days. The capital of the British Empire bustled with activity as its thousands of inhabitants went about their days. Soldiers donning red uniforms patrolled the streets, passing people from across the known world. Ships regularly docked in the city's many ports, laden with riches from the far-flung corners of the empire.

It was in one of these ports that Percy worked, a lowly dockhand who unloaded trade vessels from the East India Company. Percy grunted as he picked up a crate of tea, the contents of which were worth more than his yearly wages. He carried the crate off of the ship and placed it onto the dock, where a pile of goods was being built. Next to him, his friend Grover put down a slightly smaller crate.

"Hey, have you heard of what's going on with the colonies?" Grover asked conversationally as they boarded the ship again.

Percy shrugged. "I've got enough problems of my own without worrying about what's going on on the other side of the world." He bent down and picked up another crate of tea.

"Isn't it exciting, though?" Grover said. "History's happening around us." He grabbed a barrel, stumbling a bit.

"I don't care about history," Percy scoffed. "All I know is that war is bad for trade, and that means trouble for us. Hopefully this'll be over in a few months."

Grover nodded solemnly. "I guess you're right."

Percy sighed. "Sorry, it's just…I'm anxious, is all. I'm already scraping by, and this war isn't going to help." He had made barely enough last month to feed himself and his mother, and prices were sure to rise during wartime. With his mother's condition, next month was likely to be tough.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a loud bell, the signal for the end of the work day. He and Grover secured the goods that they were holding and lined up to receive their pay. Soon Percy reached the front, where he met Foreman Jay, a portly man wearing an ill-fitting coat. The foreman reached into a pile of coins and dropped twelve pence into Percy's outstretched hand.

Percy frowned as he quickly counted the coins. "I'm supposed to get fifteen pence," he protested, but the foreman shook his head.

"Sorry, Jackson, but the war's hurting the economy. Wages are dropping for the foreseeable future."

Percy's eyes widened as he heard the news. "Sir, I can't…I _need_ -"

"It's rough for everyone, Jackson. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do."

Percy clenched his fist over the coins. "Thank you, sir," he muttered angrily, turning away. He stomped past Grover, who had watched the encounter with surprise. Percy began to walk home, taking the long path along the docks. He always felt better when he was near the water. Percy breathed in the salty air as he watched ships sail through the Thames, wind filling their sails. He heard snatches of conversation that were carried by the wind from the sailors, who often used colorful language as they tried to delicately bring their ship into port.

"Percy!"

Percy turned to see Grover running after him, waving his arms wildly. Percy stopped to let him catch up, confused. Grover reached him quickly and grabbed his shoulder for support, breathing heavily. For some reason, Grover checked that his pants were properly affixed several times before standing up.

"Here," he said, putting his hand in Percy's. Percy lifted his hand to see that he was holding an extra twelve pence. "I know things are difficult for you right now. I want to help."

Percy shook his head, sticking his hand out. "This is too much. I can't ask you to do this for me," he said.

Grover gently pushed Percy's hand back. "Trust me, you need this more than I do."

Percy still hesitated, not putting the coins in his pocket but not giving them back, either. "I want you to have it," Grover said. He yelped in surprise as Percy pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," Percy said as he released his friend.

Grover nodded, then suddenly became nervous. "Listen, I might be able to help," he said, wringing his hands. "I'm going to have to talk to Chi- I mean, I need to talk to some people, but I can probably get you in…"

Percy frowned. "Don't tell me you're in something dangerous," he said. He knew the underground fight clubs and gangs that plagued the port district of London were always taking in poor kids like himself.

"No, it's nothing like that!" Grover replied quickly, waving his hands. "I mean, it's kind of dangerous, but not that way…I'll tell you tomorrow. Just…get your things together."

"You're worrying me, Grover," Percy said carefully.

"Don't! I'll, um, I'll see you tomorrow!" Grover said, turning around and running away, waving back at him.

Percy weakly waved back at him, frowning. He was worried about Grover's strange behavior, but his friend had always been a bit weird. Percy decided that he would ask him about it the next day. He put the extra coins Grover had given him into his pocket, looking around him warily for any sign of pickpockets that may have seen his sudden windfall.

With a final glance behind him, Percy started the long walk home.


	2. Percy's Amazing Family Life

Percy navigated the narrow cobblestone roads of London, dodging horse-drawn buggies and merchants calling out their wares. Street urchins playing in the street eyed the rich passersby greedily, always wary of the appearance of a watchman around the corner. The buildings Percy passed became increasingly dirty and close together as he walked away from the wealth of the docks and towards the poorer residential district. The familiar smell of soot grew stronger as he walked near a coal plant, which spewed black smoke into the air.

Percy paused as he saw a crowd of people that had gathered in a courtyard. The people were cheering and laughing loudly, occasionally rising into a shout of appreciation. Percy pushed his way through the crowd, interested to see what was happening. Street performers often used the courtyard for their tricks, displaying wandering musicians or a puppet show. When he managed to get to the front, however, what he saw was not a performer.

In the center of the crowd was a haggard-looking man trapped in a pillory, bending awkwardly as the crowd jeered and yelled around him. He was wearing what may have once been a priest's vestments, but the black robes were caked with dirt and blood beyond recognition. His hair was in tatters, and a significant portion of it had been chopped off violently, leaving a bald spot on the top of his head. Around the man were a numerous amount of stones that had been thrown at him. A cut in his forehead was bleeding profusely, obscuring his face significantly. Next to the man stood a sign which, in crude lettering, stated the man's name and crime.

Percy stood and examined the priest, wincing at the numerous bruises and injuries that covered the man's face. Around him, people shouted obscenities at the man, sounding as if he had slighted them personally. One man pushed out from the crowd and approached the pillory, holding a large bucket. With a cry, he threw the bucket at the priest, covering the man with foul-smelling muck. The crowd roared its approval, throwing things at the pillory as the bucket man rejoined the crowd.

Percy shook his head, wondering what the priest had done to deserve this punishment. He glanced at the sign next to the pillory, but of course he couldn't read, so the letters meant nothing to him. He turned to a woman who had just thrown a rock at the prisoner.

"What did he do?" he asked.

The woman looked at him in surprise, as if that thought had never crossed her mind. "Oh, I don't know," she said. She turned to the man next to her and asked him the same question. The man stared at the sign intensely for a minute before speaking.

"Says…says he's in for blasphemy," he grunted, slightly unsure of his reading. "Worships pagan gods," he finished disgustedly, spitting on the ground.

The woman gasped. "A pagan!" she cried. "That's even worse than a Catholic!" She shook her head sadly. "For a priest to fall so low…"

Percy nodded in understanding. A pagan…that explained the harsh punishment. He eyed the priest with pity, feeling sorry for the man's treatment.

At the moment, the crowd had left the man alone, allowing him a brief respite. He was breathing heavily, shaking every time he drew a breath. With a significant effort, the man raised his head to look at his tormentors, glaring at them with a wild expression. He cast his gaze across the crowd, death in his eyes. The priest opened his mouth as if to speak, but he only managed to make a faint gurgling noise. He spat blood on the ground and yelled furiously at the crowd.

"May the gods smite you all!" he roared, vainly fighting against his restraints. "May Zeus himself come down and make you pay for your sins!" His maddened gaze flew over the crowd, finally stopping to stare at Percy. Percy's heartbeat quickened as the man locked eyes with him.

"You!" the man yelled. "The gods have chosen you! They are with you! I sense their presence!"

Percy glanced fearfully at the people next to him, who were staring at him curiously for being called out by the prisoner. "H-He's mad! I don't know what he's talking about!" He pushed his way through the crowd, trying to ignore the screams of the man following him. As Percy exited the crowd he heard the man cry out in pain as his torture resumed. Percy bundled up his coat and began to make his way home again.

Half an hour later, Percy ended up in front of an old house that was crammed in between a bakery and a shoemaker. The house had been hastily constructed and had to be repaired often, the front wall a canvas of different planks and plasters that had been utilized to fix the many holes. Percy opened the door and walked into the dim interior, lighting a candle that laid on the table.

"I'm home," he called out, hanging his coat on a chair. From upstairs, he heard the shuffle of furniture as someone stood up. A few moments later, he heard footsteps descending the steep stairs.

Sally Jackson carefully navigated her way to the ground floor, holding onto the wall with her left hand. Her right arm was wrapped in red-stained cloth and fell limply by her side, moving back and forth as she walked down the steps. Her face was pale and she was sweating from the exertion of going downstairs.

"Hey, Ma," Percy said as she went down the final step. He moved forward and gave his mother a hug, careful not to touch her bad arm. She smiled warmly at him, holding onto his shoulder. With a sigh, Sally released him and moved towards the cooking area, pulling out two cups.

"Tea?" she asked as she took out a kettle, carefully pouring water into it from a pitcher.

Percy looked at his mother in dismay as she struggled to make tea with one good arm. Although she tried not to show it, her injury had a severe impact on her. Sally had hurt her dominant arm in an accident at the weaving mill, crushing it between the powerful machinery. The doctor had said she would mostly recover, but her hand would never work the same way again.

"Why don't I make it," Percy said, approaching her.

Sally waved him away dismissively. "I'm not dead yet," she chided him. "I can still make tea, at the very least. You can help if you want, though."

Percy nodded and started placing wood into the oven. After a few minutes of work a steady flame was burning inside of the cast iron stove, warming the small room considerably. Sally placed the kettle on the stove and left it to boil. Once it was finished, she poured the water into a pot with some tea leaves and let it steep. Finally, the two of them sat down at a rickety table with a cup of tea each.

"How was your day?" Sally asked, blowing on her tea.

Percy shrugged. "Fine. The war's been shaking things up, but not much is really happening yet." He decided not to mention the issue with his wages; there was no sense in making her worry any more than she already was.

Sally narrowed her eyes, sensing something was amiss. "Uh-huh," she said, unconvinced. She smiled slightly and leaned forward, holding her cup in front of her face. "You know the blacksmith's daughter? Mary?"

Percy nodded. He had often seen Mary about the neighborhood, delivering finished metalwork to her father's customers. "Yeah. What about her?"

"She came over today." Sally's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Really?" Percy responded, surprised. "Did you order something?"

She shook her head. "Nope. She had a package for you, actually." Sally's grin widened as she pulled out a small parcel tied with twine from a kitchen drawer.

"What? That's impossible!" Percy grabbed the package and examined it. It appeared to be a small box wrapped in parchment. Written on the packaging were some words in black ink. "I haven't talked to the blacksmith in months. There must be some mistake."

"There was no mistake. She said specifically that it was for you." Sally was grinning broadly, watching him examine the box.

Percy looked at his mother strangely. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"I had one of the neighbors read the words on the package. They say, 'To Percy, with love.'" Sally eyed him meaningfully, raising her eyebrows. "So, son, you want to tell me what's going on between you and the blacksmith's daughter?"

Percy nearly spat out his tea in surprise at his mother's accusation. He put his tea down, feeling his face heat up. "W-What are you insinuating?"

Sally laughed at her son's shocked expression. "Please, Percy, I was young once. Courtship gifts are nothing new to me. Oh, you should have seen how flustered she was when I opened the door instead of you. She told some tale about a 'mysterious stranger' who had told her to give it to you, as if I could believe that."

Percy silently looked over the package, his face red. In truth, he had no idea why he was given a package. The idea of a gift from a secret lover was laughable; he had talked to Mary maybe five times in his life, and always about her father's work. He certainly wasn't courting her.

Percy looked up to see his mother smiling mischievously at him, awaiting his response.

"Well, son?"

Percy carefully placed the parcel on the table. "I don't know what you're thinking about, but I can assure you that nothing is happening between Mary and I."

Sally drank from her cup, grinning broadly. "Of course, how foolish of me. I'm sure there's a completely reasonable explanation to all of this."

Percy sighed. "Thank you."

Sally got up and walked to the cooking area. "I only hope you'll remember to invite your foolish old mother to your wedding," she called back to him.

"Ma!" Percy objected.

Sally chuckled at her son's discomfort. "Alright, alright."

With a loud crash, the front door slammed open, straining the hinges attaching it to the wall. A dark figure filled the open doorway, dripping from the rain. With a lurch, Percy's stepfather, Gabriel, stumbled into the main room. Gabriel walked towards Percy and Sally, dropping his coat on the floor.

"What's this, then?" he asked, pointing towards the table. "Little tea party we got going on?"

Percy leaned back as Gabriel approached. A strong smell of ale was coming from the man, and he was noticeably drunk. Gabriel grabbed Percy's cup and drank all of the tea, wincing at the hot drink.

"Hello, Gabe," Percy said dryly. "Good to see you. Have you been to the tavern again?"

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Percy menacingly. "What if I have? Can't a man enjoy himself after a hard day's work?"

"Of course. That doesn't explain why _you_ went, though."

Gabriel stared at him blankly for a few seconds, trying to piece together Percy's insult. "What did you just-"

Sally quickly ran over to diffuse the situation, placing herself between Percy and Gabriel. "Gabriel, why don't you sit down? I'm sure you're tired."

Gabriel huffed angrily, begrudgingly sitting down at the table across from Percy. He gestured to Sally's bad arm distastefully. "Still useless, are you? Bah," he sighed, giving off a foul odor in Percy's direction.

Gabriel's eyes suddenly focused on the package that was still lying on the table. "What's this?" he asked, grabbing it. He started to untie the knots keeping the twine together, but they proved too difficult for his drink-heavied fingers.

"That's mine!" Percy protested, reaching over to take the parcel back.

Gabriel ignored his cries and began to rip open the wrapping forcefully. "Yours? Who would send you a package?"

Percy stood up and tried to take the package back from Gabriel. "Give that back, it's mine!" he said, pulling it from the man's grip.

Gabriel stood up as well, glaring at Percy. He lunged over the table to grab the box, but Percy held on, and the two struggled for a few seconds as Sally cried out for them to stop. Suddenly, the package ripped in half, sending both men reeling backwards. A silver object fell from the parcel, landing on the table. Percy quickly reached out and grabbed the object without seeing what it was, putting it in his pocket.

"What was that? Who's sending you things?" Gabriel demanded, pointing at Percy angrily. "Show me, what is it?"

"I don't need to show you anything," Percy shot back. "It's not ale, so you wouldn't be interested in it, anyway."

"Oi, listen here, you little bastard-"

Both Percy and Sally cried out in indignation at Gabriel's words. "Don't you call me that!" Percy shouted, livid.

Gabriel grinned, knowing he had struck a chord. "It's what you are, innit? A bastard? That's why they ran you out o' the colonies, 'cause your dear ma's a who-"

Percy leapt at Gabriel, knocking over the table in his rage. "Shut your mouth!" he yelled, knocking his stepfather over. On their way down, Gabriel hit his head on the chair behind him with a loud _crack_. By the time they landed on the floor, Gabriel had been knocked unconscious.

Percy breathed loudly as he pinned the sleeping Gabriel to the ground. Some small part of him knew that his actions would have serious consequences, but the rest of him was fueled only by rage.

He was roused from his state by the cries of Sally behind him, trying to push him off of Gabriel. Slowly, he released Gabriel and stood up, looking at his horrified mother.

"What have you done?" Sally hissed at him. "You idiot, do you know what he's going to do to you when he wakes up?"

Percy gazed down at his stepfather. "Look at him, he's wasted. We'll just tell him that he fell over. He won't remember what actually happened."

"And if he does? You thought he was bad before, you have no idea-"

"Why do you stay with him, then?" Percy interrupted. "We'd both be better off without him. Why do you put up with him?"

Sally shook her head. "There are things you don't understand," she said. "Like it or not, we need Gabriel."

"For what? Money? All he does is spend his wages on alcohol."

"It's not that!" Sally said angrily. She took a deep breath. "I think it's best if you leave the house for a while. Leave Gabriel up to me; I'll try to calm him down. Just stay away, you hear me?"

"I can't just leave you here with him-"

"I can handle myself, Percy!" Sally snapped. She straightened and cleared her throat quietly. "This is not negotiable. Please, just leave."

Percy backed away slowly, looking at his mother. He quietly put his coat back on and turned towards the door.

"You've got to admit, it felt good to see him taken down like that," Percy called back.

Sally gave a watery chuckle. "Goodbye, Percy," she said quietly.

With one final look back, Percy went through the door and into the dark streets of London.


	3. A Monster on the London Docks

Percy bundled up his coat against the city chill, cold and smoke stinging his eyes. A light drizzle was coming down, creating puddles in between the cobblestones. He felt slightly invigorated as he walked in the rain, probably leftover energy from attacking Gabriel. Percy looked around him cautiously as he walked down the street. Oil street lights illuminated the main road, but dark alleyways held unknown dangers and potential threats. As he looked around for an inn, he held onto the coins in his pocket to ensure no one would pickpocket him.

He felt something else in his pocket other than change, and he pulled out the object that had been in the package for him. By the dim light of the lanterns he saw a metal seashell attached to a silver chain. He held the necklace in the palm of his hand; the shell felt heavy for its size and it reflected an odd sheen from the flames of the lights. It was very well-made; Percy doubted Mary could have afforded such a piece of jewelry. Someone of influence must have bought it.

Percy put the necklace back in his pocket; holding an expensive item in the middle of the street was asking for trouble.

He started to walk forward when he heard a familiar voice call out from the shadows of an alleyway.

"Hey, Jackson," the voice said. As Percy stared into the darkness, the generous figure of Foreman Jay emerged into the light of the street.

"Sir?" Percy said, very confused. "What are you doing here?"

The foreman's face was twisted into a malicious grin. "I could say the same for you, Jackson. It ain't right for a lad such as yourself to walk around the street alone at night. Something might happen to you." As he spoke, Jay walked in front of Percy, blocking the road ahead of him.

"I-I'll keep that in mind," Percy said, getting more anxious by the second. "So if you'll let me pass…" He tried to move forward, but the foreman blocked his path. He looked down at Percy evilly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Jackson," Jay said, walking towards Percy, forcing him to back up into the alleyway. He sniffed loudly, tasting the air. "Yep, definitely a demigod. I thought so."

"A _what_?" Percy exclaimed, slowly entering the alley.

Jay breathed in deeply, ignoring Percy's question. "No stench of death. Never had anyone die on you, kid?"

"N-No," Percy stuttered. "Not yet, at least. Why do you ask?"

They were solidly in the alley now, Jay's body blocking the exit. "You know what I love best about London?" Jay asked, grinning. "All the death. Every second, some poor soul keels over from cholera, or starvation, or plain old age. And you drop their bodies in shared graves, open to the world for days! It's a veritable feast!" Jay looked shocked at London's foolishness. "I haven't been this full in centuries!"

With a jolt, Percy backed into the end of the alley. "What are you talking about, Foreman?" he asked, thoroughly confused.

Jay chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah, sorry, kid. Let me properly introduce myself. My _real_ name is Eurynomos. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said, bowing deeply. When he stood up, his eyes glowed dark blue, causing Percy to grab the wall behind him in shock.

Eurynomos grinned at Percy's fear. "Did I scare you? Sorry, I tend to have that effect." As he spoke, his entire appearance changed. Eurynomos' skin changed color, going from pasty white to a shiny blue-black. His coat transformed into a cloak of black feathers which trailed down to his knees, and his hair turned sickly and stiff. He was much more leaner and muscular, though he still had a bit of pudge visible. He gave off a strong smell of decomposing meat.

Percy's eyes widened at Eurynomos' transformation. "God in heaven!" he blasphemed in terror. "What are you?"

The monster in front of him laughed, showing a row of blood-stained teeth. "Yes, call on your god," he mocked. "Hate to break it to ya, kid, but you're asking the wrong one." He spat on the ground, leaving a small pile of blood and residue on the floor. "As for what I am, I am a _kakodaimon_ , specifically of the corpse-eating variety."

"A demon!" Percy gasped. He made the sign of the cross, hoping to banish the creature. "Begone, foul beast!"

Eurynomos looked at Percy's poor attempt at an exorcism with amusement. "No, not a demon, a _kakodaimon_. Different things, though you did steal the name and idea from us. Think less fire and brimstone and more rotting corpses." He began to approach Percy, eyes glowing brightly. "Now, normally I prefer my meals already dead, but for a delectable course such as yourself, I'll make an exception." He bared his pointed teeth menacingly.

Percy definitively decided that he would rather _not_ be here. He frantically looked around the alley, but the monster formerly known as Foreman Jay was blocking the only exit. Percy eyed a pile of trash to his right, looking for anything sharp he could use to fight back. He grabbed a broken bottle and pointed the sharp end at Eurynomos, shaking slightly.

"Get back!" he shouted, trying and failing to sound intimidating.

The _kakodaimon_ 's face twisted into a facsimile of a smile. "I'm quaking in me boots, kid." He stepped forward again, into striking range. Percy leaped at Eurynomos, blindly slashing the bottle across his face.

Instead of cutting the monster's face, however, the bottle exploded into glass shards as if Percy had hit it against a wall. Percy stumbled back as some of the shards lodged themselves in his hand, cutting deep.

"Very cute," Eurynomos said, unfazed. "Why don't I show you how it's done?"

Eurynomos' fingers morphed into long claws. In a flash, he jumped forward and raked Percy's front. In searing pain, Percy leaned against the wall and held onto his chest. Blood seeped between his fingers and stained his shirt.

Eurynomos leered over Percy, his claws dripping with blood. "Looks like you lost, kid. Fortunately for you, I don't like to play with my food. So at least you'll get a quick death." He raised his arm, ready to deal the final blow.

"Hey!"

Both Percy and Eurynomos looked to the entrance of the alley, where the voice had come from. Standing in the light of the street lamp and looking very frightened was Grover, who seemed to immediately regret alerting the _kakodaimon_.

" _Grover_?" Percy exclaimed, still grabbing his chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Ah, another course," Eurynomos said genially, turning around to face Grover. "How kind of you to join us. Satyr make for excellent desserts."

"Percy! Use the necklace!" Grover yelled.

"What?" Percy felt that this was _terrible_ advice given the current situation. No amount of fancy jewelry would stop Eurynomos from murdering both of them.

"Just trust me!"

Acting under the assumption that he had nothing better to try, Percy reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver necklace. The seashell gave off an odd glow, despite the fact that the alley was in darkness. Percy examined it, hoping whatever abilities this necklace apparently had would reveal themselves quickly. He experimentally pressed his thumb on the center of the seashell. Underneath his thumb, the shell grew hot and glowed red. Suddenly, the necklace morphed in his hand, changing into a large sword.

Percy stared in amazement at the sword that had just appeared in his hand. It appeared to be made out of bronze and gave off a distinct glow. The edge was razor-thin, and the sword was obviously the work of a master blacksmith.

"What is this witchcraft?" Percy asked, gripping the hilt with his cut hand.

"It doesn't matter! Just stab him with it!" Grover yelled.

Eurynomos scowled as he realized Percy now had a way to defend himself. "Well, this is highly unfortunate," he said, sighing. "Looks like I'm going to have to work a little harder to kill you."

Percy held the sword in front of him in what he hoped was a confident position. "Silence, monster!" He leapt forward and slashed with the sword. Eurynomos knocked the thrust off course with his claws, but the tip made contact with his face. Unlike the bottle, the sword managed to harm the _kakodaimon_ , leaving a cut on his cheek. Eurynomos stumbled back in surprise, holding his hand over the wound.

Percy used his opponent's shock as a distraction, running around Eurynomos to the front of the alley next to Grover. The monster turned around to face them, fury in his eyes.

"That's it," he said, growling. "Quick death is off the table. Now, you die slowly."

Grover looked at Percy, pale. "Run?"

Percy nodded. "Run."

The two fled from the alley, the _kakodaimon_ hot on their heels. They ran down London's winding roads and side streets, trying to shake off the screeching monster following them. Eurynomos shouted obscenities as he chased them, describing in detail how he would cook them up and eat them once he caught them.

"Do you know where we're going?" Percy asked, panting heavily.

Grover nodded. "I know a place where we'll be safe. We just have to outrun him until we get there."

Percy looked behind them. Eurynomos was flailing his arms wildly as he ran, shouting into the night.

"I'll rip the flesh off of your bones! I'll throw your eyeballs from here to the New World!"

Percy sped up, following Grover through a narrow path between two buildings. They passed a number of street urchins and passersby on their evening stroll, though no one seemed too bothered with the screaming demon following behind them. With a jolt, Percy realized that they were running in the direction of his house. They pelted through his neighborhood, disturbing a street cat lazing on a crate.

Looking behind him, Percy didn't notice he was about to run into someone until it was nearly too late. He scraped his heels against the cobblestone road, sending pebbles flying. Windmilling his arms for balance, Percy managed to stop right in front of Mary, the blacksmith's daughter. Mary was holding a box of metalworking tools, and she was understandably surprised at seeing Percy barreling down the street.

"Hello, Percy," she said, cocking her head. "Are you alright?"

Percy breathed in heavily, looking behind him for any sign of Eurynomos. Mary was the last person he wanted to see right now. He remembered the conversation he had had earlier with his mother; if his face hadn't already been red from running, he would have blushed.

"Hey, Mary," he said. "Sorry, I'm kind of busy-"

"Did you get the package I delivered? I left it with your mother, I hope she passed it on to you." Mary looked at him with puzzlement. "Do you know who sent it? Some man in a suit gave it to me and said it was for you."

"Yeah, I got it, thank you." Percy was surprised that she didn't ask about the large sword in his hand. Maybe as the blacksmith's daughter, she was used to people carrying forged weaponry. "I don't know who sent it, either. I was hoping you could-" He was cut off by a blood curdling screech behind him as Eurynomos rounded the corner.

"I got to go. Bye!" Percy and Grover set off again, leaving a very confused Mary. She turned to watch them go, barely moving when Eurynomos passed her screaming bloody murder.

The pair ran through the city, heading towards the docks. By this time, the rain had increased into a heavy downpour, and Percy had to slow down to avoid slipping in puddles. Grover directed them to a bridge that crossed the Thames, nearly getting run over by a carriage heading the other way. The driver raised his fist angrily at them for spooking his horses, but they ignored him and continued down the bridge.

When they were halfway across, a mist of blue-black smoke flew over their heads and landed a few yards in front of them. The smoke solidified into the seething form of Eurynomos, breathing heavily.

"Enough of this game!" he yelled, slicing the air with one hand. The cut on his cheek was leaking a black ooze over his face, dripping onto the wet bridge.

"Behind me," Percy instructed Grover, brandishing his sword. He called out to Eurynomos. "We don't have any quarrel with you, demon. Just let us pass."

Eurynomos huffed. "I told you, it's _kakodaimon_! And no, I won't let you go. You've humiliated me too much to live. I wouldn't be able to show my face in the underworld for decades if you survived!"

Well, there went Percy's only plan. He hadn't supposed reasoning with a monster would work, but he had to at least try.

"Grover," he whispered behind him. "You seem to know a lot more than you're letting on. You have any ideas?"

Grover thought for a second, then nodded. "Distract him for a bit," he said, pulling out a set of pipes.

"Oh, distract the unholy abomination? Sure, why not?" Percy pointed his sword at Eurynomos and spoke in a loud voice.

"Hear me, _kakodaimon_. My name is Percy Jackson, son of Sally Jackson."

Eurynomos snorted. "Is that supposed to impress me?"

From behind Percy, Grover started playing on his pipes, a rousing sailor's shanty spilling into the night.

"Are you playing music right now?" Percy asked in astonishment. He had no desire to die while listening to tavern songs.

Grover gave him a sour look, still playing on his pipes. Annoyed, he quickly pointed at Eurynomos and continued playing.

Percy looked at the _kakodaimon_. The monster had reacted to the music with similar surprise, but it seemed as if the song had an effect on him. As the shanty kept playing, Eurynomos grew slightly unsteady, staggering in the rain. His eyes drooped, and a dark flush rose to his face. Percy had seen that look on Gabriel many times; Eurynomos was getting drunk.

"What is this?" Eurynomos slurred, taking an uncertain step. He still seemed to be in control of most of his faculties; the song had made him tipsy, but not entirely drunk.

Percy brandished his sword, nearly dropping it in the process. "If you value your life, you will retreat now."

Eurynomos looked at him carefully, a glimmer of doubt in his demonic eyes. "Impossible. You're just a kid. You haven't been trained yet; you can't do anything to me."

"You wanna bet?" Percy threw his sword between his hands repeatedly. "Then how can I do this?"

Eurynomos focused his gaze on Percy, not sure if what he was doing was truly impressive. He mimed the motion, passing an invisible sword between his claws. "Wait a minute," he said, taking a cautionary step back.

Percy pressed his advantage, running at Eurynomos wielding his sword. The monster stumbled backwards in surprise, allowing Percy to land a strike on his arm. Percy jumped away as Eurynomos swiped wildy with his other arm.

Percy circled the _kakodaimon_ , sword raised. More black liquid seeped from Eurynomos' fresh wound, his arm hanging limply by his side. Shaking his head, Eurynomos managed to somewhat bring himself from his stupor. He looked at Percy with newfound hatred.

"Last chance," Percy called out with much more confidence than he felt. "Leave now, or die."

Eurynomos growled, extending his claws even further. With a cry, he leapt at Percy, aiming to stab him with his good arm. Percy barely managed to dodge out of the way; even intoxicated, the monster was unnaturally fast.

"I'll kill you!" Eurynomos shouted, taking another long swipe at Percy. This hit landed, scoring Percy's hip. Percy cried out in pain, nearly slipping on the stone.

Grover continued playing music as Percy and Eurynomos circled each other warily. Percy could feel blood run down his leg as he walked. Eurynomos was also hurt, his left arm hanging uselessly by his side.

With a cry, Eurynomos jumped at Percy, teeth bared. His fury had made him careless, swiping indiscriminately in front of him. Wincing, Percy moved out of the way on his bad leg.

"Damn you!" Eurynomos cursed. "This is why I only go after dead people. You're _really_ annoying me!"

Eurynomos backed up, looking irately at Percy. Black blood covered his face and his arm, sizzling as the rain touched it. Eurynomos' eyes flashed brightly as he started to run at Percy, screaming a war cry. As he ran, the _kakodaimon_ turned to smoke, an angry mist coming straight at Percy. Percy stood his ground, watching as the cloud quickly approached him. Right as the mist came at him, it solidified into Eurynomos in mid air, arm raised to strike Percy down.

As soon as Eurynomos appeared, Percy slashed his sword into the monster, hearing a satisfying _squish_ as it connected. The demon was knocked off course, hitting the ground next to Percy painfully.

Percy looked at his downed opponent. Eurynomos' torso had been split open, leaking a large amount of black blood onto the bridge.

"How…" Eurynomos looked up at Percy in shock. "You were supposed…to die." As he spoke, Eurynomos' body started to dissolve into a black ooze. "Damn it!" he roared, slamming his fist onto the street. "Beaten by a kid! How will I be able to show my face now?" He glared at Percy, only his head left among the bubbling liquid. "See you around, kid," he said, grinning maliciously.

With this last ominous statement, Eurynomos' head melted along with the rest of him. The monster who had been so fearful was now reduced to a puddle on the street.

Grover stopped playing and ran up to Percy, slapping him on the shoulder.

"You did it!" he shouted, giddy with the prospect of not dying. "I knew you could do it!"

Percy nodded weakly, feeling the rain hit him. With an undignified moan, his knees buckled and he fell unconscious.


	4. Flight from the City

"Percy, wake up."

Percy vaguely felt someone shaking his shoulder. He groaned and weakly pushed the hand away; he'd rather stay in bed than go out to the docks to work. Percy mumbled an objection to being roused and turned over to his side.

As he moved over, he felt a searing pain from his hip as it bore his weight. He opened his eyes in shock, suddenly awake. He jumped into a sitting position, nearly bumping heads with a concerned Grover who had been bending over to look at him. Percy glanced around; they were still on the bridge, a heavy rain coming down. He was currently sitting in a puddle, the black ooze that had been Eurynomos slowly creeping towards him. He moved to his feet in disgust, sending a new wave of pain from his hip.

"Woah, slow down," Grover exclaimed, noticing Percy's pain. He took Percy's arm and placed it over his shoulder, providing support for Percy's bad side. "I fixed you up a bit, but you're gonna need a proper doctor. Think you can walk for a while?"

Percy nodded. The pair started to hobble down the bridge, Percy gasping as he walked. His chest felt compressed, and as he looked down he could see ragged strips of cloth tied around his wounds as makeshift bandages. He turned his head and saw that Grover was bare-chested, his cheap shirt used to staunch his wounds.

They walked for hours, nearing the edge of the city. Percy felt eyes follow them as they walked down the streets; the pair was easy pickings for a mugging, and everyone who looked at them knew it. As the densely-packed buildings gave way to overgrown trees, a traveling merchant passed them by, pulling a load of cargo. Grover begged passage from the driver, who reluctantly agreed to take them along his route. Grover paid the man a few pence and laid Percy in the freight wagon before taking a seat in the front, where the driver could keep an eye on him.

They rode on for another hour, traveling into the woods. Percy felt a sharp jolt of pain every time the wagon dipped into a hole in the unkempt road. After ten minutes, his bandages opened slightly, leaking blood onto the wooden floor of the wagon. He could hear Grover and the driver talk from the front of the carriage, but their words were drowned out by the sound of the rain and his own groaning.

Percy looked around; the wagon was filled with crates of goods, products from the manufactories in the city. They were stacked up to the ceiling of the wagon, teetering precariously as the carriage moved. He was currently leaning against a box of clothing. He hoped the crate would be enough to keep his blood from staining the goods inside. Percy turned and looked through the box, seeing if he would have to compensate the merchant. The clothing was of good quality, soft to the touch. Percy was placing the clothing back in place when he felt something hard underneath them. He moved the clothing to reveal a number of muskets, purposefully hidden in the crate. Sharp bayonets laid next to the guns, ready to be installed and stabbed into someone.

Percy quickly put everything back in place and moved away from the crate. The "merchant" was actually a smuggler, stealing away in the middle of the night with his contraband. Percy made a mental note not to anger the driver; smugglers were often armed and willing to quiet any witnesses.

After a while of Percy silently bleeding out onto a crate of weaponry, wondering at how his life had changed in the last few hours, the carriage came to a shuddering halt. The flap covering the entrance to the wagon flew open, letting in a steady stream of moonlight. The moon was directly overhead now, lighting up the night. In the distance, Percy could see the dim lights of London, a shining beacon in the dark countryside. Grover poked his head into the wagon, blocking Percy's view of the city. He carefully helped Percy out of the carriage, wincing at the puddle of blood left behind. They hopped down into the middle of a forest clearing, nearly bumping into the smuggler.

The man looked slightly dazed as he looked over the two of them. He eyed the trail of blood from Percy to his goods, face blank. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again with a confused look.

"So," the smuggler said, cocking his head. "I'll be off, then." Without another word, he slowly clambered onto the carriage and grabbed the reins, driving off along the forest path,

"What's his deal?" Percy asked, watching the wagon disappear into the trees.

"He dropped us off too close to camp. The mortal shield messed him up a bit," Grover explained, as if this meant anything to Percy. "He'll be fine once he gets far enough away."

"Mortal?"

Grover gave him a surprised look then quickly recovered. "That's right, you're new to this. Sorry, it's strange for me to see someone unaccustomed to…" He did a vague hand gesture. "Everything."

Percy was getting extremely confused, but his suspicions were being blocked by the pain in his entire body. "You said you know a doctor," Percy said, changing the topic. "I don't see anything here but trees."

Grover pointed behind him. "We're here."

Percy looked to where Grover was pointing and saw a building that had definitely _not_ been there before. The building appeared to be a tavern, its plastered walls grimy from the forest. A warm glow could be seen through the windows, and several figures were moving around the inside. Percy could faintly hear some sort of stringed instrument being played inside. Engraved on a swinging sign hanging from the door was a winged horse with the name of the tavern written underneath.

Percy eyed the tavern warily. He doubted any self-respecting doctor could be found there, at least one that was sober enough to clean his wounds. "Grover," Percy said slowly. "What is this?"

"I know this looks bad, but it's just the entrance," Grover said. "Don't worry."

Percy couldn't think of anything he'd like to do more than worry, but considering the absolute downturn that had been the past few hours, he decided to play along. With Grover supporting him, the pair opened the door and walked in.

Percy was met with an immediate rush of warmth as they stepped into the tavern. The main room was fairly large, with worn wooden tables scattered around the floor. Oil lamps were placed on each table and along the walls, lighting the area with flickering flames. An assortment of heads were lined above the fireplace, though they were some of the strangest heads Percy had ever seen. Next to a normal deer head was the head of an enormous boar, its gigantic tusks glowing in the light of the lamps. An ant head the size of a dog hung on the wall, along with a three-headed snake…thing. Directly above the mantle and in a place of importance was the head of a leopard, though something about it seemed strange. Its fur looked a bit too fresh, almost as if it was still alive, and Percy could almost swear that he could see the animal faintly breathing.

The tavern wasn't too full, probably because the drunkards didn't want to walk in the rain. Several of the tables were occupied by rowdy patrons, drinking a variety of alcohols and troublingly playing with several types of weaponry. As Percy watched, one of the men at a table pulled out a sword and threw it at the wall next to him, embedding it several inches into the plaster.

Percy felt awkward standing there, dripping water and blood onto a mat that was printed with the same winged horse as the outside sign. The barkeep, a blonde-haired boy around the same age as Percy, looked up from cleaning a tankard and noticed Percy and Grover standing in the entrance.

"Welcome to _The Half-Blood Tavern_ -" The barkeep started to speak, but stopped when he saw who it was. "Grover!" the boy said, putting down the cup.

"Hey, Castor," Grover said, raising one hand in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" The boy suddenly noticed Percy's condition, gasping. "What

happened?"

"Monster attack. My friend got hurt pretty badly. Think you can wake up one of the Apollo kids?"

Castor nodded then ran off through the back. Grover pushed Percy up a bit and started to walk through the tavern. They had made it halfway to the back when they were stopped by one of the patrons.

"What happened to you, kid?" The man calling him had a chubby face and very dark black hair, and he was wearing a garish leopard-spotted coat. He was sitting leisurely at a table with his arms around two women with slightly green skin who giggled as they saw Percy. In front of him was a flagon of a strange golden liquid that seemed to give off an odd glow.

"A demon happened," Percy managed to say.

Next to him, Grover straightened himself and appeared somewhat nervous. He bowed as much as he was able to while still holding on to Percy. "G-greetings, Dionysus," he said quietly. Percy looked at Grover strangely as he saw his friend's sudden change of demeanor.

The man, who was apparently named Dionysus, waved his hand dismissively. "Hey, satyr." He grabbed the cup of golden liquid and took a deep drink from it. He gave a loud sigh of contentment and turned his attention back on Percy. "Demons, you say?"

"Yes," Percy said firmly. "It attacked me while I was walking down the street. It called itself Eurynomos-"

" _Eurynomos_?" Dionysus exclaimed, surprised. "That old vulture? Oh, I haven't seen him in centuries! He was always ruining my parties; I told him he didn't need to bring any snacks, but he still put it upon himself to bring a rotting corpse as an appetizer." Dionysus shook his head. "Nothing ruins the mood more than some dead guy next to the pastries."

Percy narrowed his eyes at Dionysus' exclamation. Now that he thought about it, this man's name was as strange as Eurynomos'. "You knew him, then?"

"In passing, mainly. I was never one for human meat; sure, it spiced up the parties a bit, but then you had everyone complaining about _where_ it came from, _who_ they were, it's honestly not worth the effort. Give me a nice roasted pheasant any day."

Percy ground his teeth in anger. Dionysus was talking about the monster who attacked him as if it was an old companion. And this talk about human meat…something about the man was definitely off.

Dionysus said something while Percy wasn't paying attention. Percy suddenly focused back into the conversation.

"...Imagine you gave him a proper whacking, didn't you?"

Percy hesitated for a moment. "I killed it, if that's what you're asking."

"First time you killed someone?" Dionysus flashed him a wicked grin.

Percy drew himself up righteously. "Yes, and, God willing, it'll be my last."

Dionysus looked at him for a second before bursting into laughter, pounding the table with mirth. The two women on Dionysus' sides started giggling as well. Percy stared at the man angrily as he went into fits of laughter.

After a minute, Dionysus managed to pull himself together enough to speak. "Imagine that! A demigod who isn't going to kill anyone! That'd be a neat trick. Well, we'll see how far that takes you. To the grave, most likely." He started laughing again at his own joke, eventually settling down into a weezing chuckle as he sat back into his seat.

"What's so funny? Am I to take it that you approve of murder?" Grover, who had been silent this entire time, elbowed Percy as a warning.

Dionysus focused his blood-shot eyes on Percy. "Murder? It ain't murder if they're tryna kill you first. 'Course, who am I to talk? I've killed enough mortals for looking at me funny. Does turning someone into a grape vine count as killing them?" Dionysus smiled. "And I know my beloved siblings have done their fair share of wanton murders." He gave a loud belch and took another swig from his tankard.

Percy's eyes widened as Dionysus so casually admitted to murder. "What kind of man are you?"

"A-apologies, my lord," Grover stammered. "My friend isn't accustomed to-"

Dionysus gave a loud bark of laughter. "A man? I'm afraid I'm not a man at all." With a flick of his wrist, a large wooden rod wrapped in ivy and topped with a pine cone appeared in his hand. A purple flame emanated from the top of the rod as he idly spun it between his fingers. "What's your name?"

"Percy."

"Well, Perry," Dionysus said, disregarding Percy's name. "In the future, it would be best if you didn't raise your voice to me. Unless, of course, you enjoy being reduced to a nice keg of ale."

"Are you threatening me?" Next to Percy, Grover made a small noise of disbelief as he challenged Dionysus.

Dionysus looked at Percy with surprise. He eyed Percy, looking at his wounds and the way he was wavering on his feet. "Why, yes, I was. Did the big flaming stick not get my point across? Usually that's enough to quiet upstart mortals like yourself."

A serving boy walked in between Dionysus and the increasingly angry Percy, trying to diffuse the tension. The boy looked almost identical to the barkeep, Castor, the only difference being his clothes. He quickly took some of the empty glasses that littered the table and placed them on his tray, looking at Dionysus nervously.

Dionysus' attention shifted away from Percy as he looked at the boy. "Pollux, come here." He gestured for the boy to come closer.

"Yes, Father?" Pollux stood next to where Dionysus was sitting.

"This new demigod - Polly I believe is his name - is being very disrespectful to me, an affront for which a less kind god than me would surely kill him." Dionysus glared at Percy as he said this last part. "However, because I am such a nice person, I've decided to forgive his crimes." He sounded as if he was actually being merciful. "Get me a barrel of the strongest wine you have as a toast to my generosity." Pollux, looking slightly confused, nodded and went to the back room to get the wine.

Dionysus looked at Percy with distaste. "You're still here? Go, before I change my mind." He waved his hand and appeared to lose all interest in Percy.

Grover bowed again and quickly led Percy to the back of the tavern.

"You shouldn't have angered him," Grover whispered as they left.

"Who was that man?" Percy whispered back. "How could he say those things?"

"Dionysus can say whatever he wants," Grover said. "Please, try not to aggravate him."

The pair exited through the back door of the tavern into another forested area. As soon as Percy stepped out of the light from the tavern, he felt the pain and weariness from his wounds come crashing down on him. He allowed Grover to hobble him along a path, barely registering the scenery they passed. After a few minutes they ended up at a large building. Percy heard someone shout in surprise at the two of them, and he felt someone take up his other side and walk him into the building. Percy felt himself get lowered into a soft bed and sank into a deep sleep.


	5. Entering Camp Half-Blood

Percy wavered in and out of consciousness for days, laying in bed without moving. He opened his eyes for a few seconds at a time, watching the room around him change every time he woke up. When he opened his eyes the room was black, when he blinked it was bright, daylight streaming in through the window. He vaguely heard people walk into and out of the room, talking in hushed voices. Sometimes he awoke to someone tending to his wounds, re-wrapping bandages or placing a cool towel over his forehead.

After an indeterminable amount of time, Percy roused enough energy to wake up properly. He blinked a few times, clearing his vision. The image in front of him focused into a blonde-haired girl next to him, flipping through a large book.

"W-Where am I?" he whispered.

The girl looked at him in surprise, closing the book with a _thud_. "Oh, you're awake!" She stood up and walked to the door, then called out into the hallway. "Chiron, he's awake!" Satisfied that she got the message through, she sat back down next to his bed.

"How do you feel?" she asked, seeming more excited than concerned for his well-being.

"Better, now," he said, confused. And he was: the pain in his chest had subsided into a dull throb, and his leg was similarly healed. "Who are you?"

"Annabeth Chase." The girl stuck her hand out in greeting.

Percy weakly took her hand and shook it. "Percy Jackson. A pleasure to meet you." Annabeth was giving him an odd look, almost is if she was appraising him.

"Is something wrong?" Percy asked warily.

"Oh, sorry. I'm learning medicine now, and I helped them fix you up. I'm just trying to see if I did a good job."

"Uh," Percy hesitated. "You did well, thank you."

Annabeth nodded and picked up her book again, thumbing through the pages.

"You can read?" Percy asked, surprised.

Annabeth looked at him over her book. "Obviously."

Chastised, Percy went quiet. He looked down and noticed in surprise that he was wearing the seashell necklace that had turned into a sword. He fingered the trinket distractedly. After a few moments, the door opened, and a man in a wooden wheelchair rolled into the room.

"Greetings," the man said, nodding his head. "I hope you're feeling better."

"Much better," Percy said. "Thank you for helping me."

The man chuckled. "You shouldn't thank me. Our healers brought you back, along with Miss Chase." He gestured towards Annabeth.

Percy turned towards Annabeth. "I'm very grateful. You've done a great service for me."

Annabeth smiled, blushing. "Glad to help."

"Miss Chase, why don't you step outside for a moment. I'd like to speak with the patient alone."

Annabeth nodded. "Of course." She stood up and left, carrying her book with her.

The man in the wheelchair rolled towards Percy, looking at him kindly. "I imagine you have many questions."

"I do." With some effort, Percy managed to pull himself up into a sitting position.

The man smiled. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chiron. I am in charge around here."

"Percy Jackson."

"I know." A small smile danced on Chiron's lips.

"What is this place? Where am I?"

Chiron leaned forward in his chair. "Tell me, how much do you know of the ancient Greeks?"

"Nothing." Percy didn't understand what Chiron was talking about.

Chiron sighed. "Not many people do. Well, the Greeks were an ancient people who worshipped a pantheon of gods. As it so happens, these gods turned out to be real."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "This is blasphemy. There is only one God."

Chiron held out his hands in a supplicating gesture. "Of course. It's just that your God is a bit less…hands-on than these. I mean no disrespect." Chiron noticed that Percy was still looking at him strangely. "If it makes you feel any better, many of the campers consider them to be more like powerful beings rather than actual gods."

Percy nodded at that. Powerful beings he could understand. That Eurynomos, it wasn't human.

"So what does this have to do with me?" Percy asked.

Chiron fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable. "As I said, the Greek…deities often…intervene in worldly affairs. Many of them come down to Earth to wage wars, or guide civilizations, or," Chiron spoke very carefully. "Sire children."

"Children?"

Chiron cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes. If a god takes a shining to a mortal, they may decide to gift that mortal with a child. The product of such…pairings is called a demigod: half god, half human."

"And you're telling me that _I'm_ a demigod?" Percy could hardly believe his ears. _Him_ , half god?

"I'm afraid so. Forgive me for being so frank, but do you live with both of your parents?"

Percy glared at Chiron, wary. "My father left us when I was little. How did you know?"

Chiron nodded knowingly. "As I suspected. It would appear as if your father was a god, and left soon after you were born."

"My father," Percy repeated slowly. "Was a god."

Chiron gave him a weak smile. "Congratulations."

"But…that's impossible!" Percy exclaimed. "How could he leave us like that?"

"I'm afraid gods don't think with the same perspective as mortals. To them, leaving a mortal with a child is considered a great honor; a gift, even. Many leave because they refuse to let themselves get attached to any particular mortal. It is a sad thing to watch the one you love age and die in front of you while you live forever."

Percy ran his hand through his hair in distress. "So when I was attacked by Eurynomos-"

"Being a demigod also makes you a prime target for monsters. Unfortunately, that's how most of our campers meet their end."

"Campers?"

"Yes, campers. We are currently in Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for young demigods such as yourself. We provide a safe home for you to stay while you hone your skills and reach your fullest potential."

"There are others like me?"

"Many others. We currently have around two hundred campers enrolled right now, and there are certainly a number of demigods we don't know about who haven't come to camp yet. Most demigods that don't receive proper training don't live very long; that is why we send agents out to scout for demigods and bring them here. Your friend Grover is one of them."

"Grover works for you?" Grover had seemed fairly unsurprised at the _kakodaimon_ 's appearance, and appeared well-known to the people in the tavern.

"Yes. We send satyrs out looking for potential recruits. You're lucky he found you."

"Satyrs?"

Chiron paused. "It would probably be best if he explained that to you himself."

"And the way I came in-"

"The tavern, yes." Chiron nodded grimly. "That's how the camp makes money to fund our program. I've always thought it was a bad idea. Attracts the wrong kind of people, you know. I wish we could do something else for the funds - growing strawberries or something of that nature - but nothing else had been viable."

"And the man, Dionysus-"

Chiron grimaced. "Yes, Dionysus. He likes to hang around the place, not paying for anything and harassing the dryads. Of course, we can't do anything about it." He shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Dionysus is the god of wine and partying," Chiron explained. "We can't very well tell a god to go away, can we?"

"He was a _god_?" Percy asked, shocked. He suddenly regretted standing up to Dionysus in the tavern.

"I'm afraid so. Anyway, that's enough chatting for now." Chiron rolled over right next to Percy, staring at him carefully. "Percy, I would like to offer an official invitation for you to stay at Camp Half-Blood." He stuck out a hand. "Will you stay?"

Percy eyed the hand. "What will happen to my mother?"

Chiron nodded in understanding. "Unfortunately, the camp is only open to demigods; no mortals are allowed in. You can certainly visit her, but leaving the grounds is dangerous and isn't recommended until you spend a bit of time here." He noticed the trouble in Percy's eyes. "If you're worried about her, don't be. I'll send someone over to inform her of the situation and to let her know that you are alright. She should be safe from monster attacks; they mostly go after demigods rather than mortals."

Percy's gaze met Chiron's; a kind, comforting look. "Will you promise to keep her safe?"

"I promise."

Percy took Chiron's outstretched arm and shook it.

* * *

Two days later Percy was granted leave from the sick room, and his first day as a camper began. He was first given a tour of the campgrounds, following behind Annabeth as she sped through the different points of interest without slowing down. They passed the dining hall, a large open-air pavilion held up by massive marble pillars in which campers sat down at twelve large tables, eating or talking to one another. Percy noticed that none of the campers looked more than twenty-five years old, almost all of them his age.

In the training area, straw dummies were set up for sword practice, and fighters practiced on each other with dulled blades and leather armor. Some campers were training archery, aiming their bows at far away targets. A few were practicing firing muskets, loud shots ringing through the air and bursting out a cloud of smoke. A girl in an army uniform was currently teaching a class on how to properly stab someone with a bayonet, using many hand movements and demonstrations to illustrate her point.

Next they visited the waterfront, a large beach where a number of dockyards and naval equipment had been built. The boats tied up there ranged from small galleys to massive warships, complete with cannons and decorated rams. A mock naval battle was currently taking place on the water, not too far from the shore. Several smaller ships were circling a large galleon, pelting it with small cannon shots while the behemoth took on water. Percy could hear the shouts coming from the boats as the captain of the galleon ordered his crew around, sounding more desperate by the minute. On the shore, teams practiced how to tie up rigging and repair leaks in a ship's hull.

Finally they entered a clearing in which twelve buildings were set in a semicircle, with many campers streaming in and out of them.

"These are the living quarters," Annabeth explained as they walked. "Each dorm is based off one of the twelve major gods, not including Hades. Once you find out who your godly parent is, you'll be assigned to live in their corresponding house for the rest of your time here."

The houses were all built differently, each having its own apparent style. One was covered in grass and flowers, another built cold and austere with marble columns and walls. One house looked like a factory, pumping out steam and showing off a complex series of gears and pulleys.

"What dorm are you in?" Percy asked.

Annabeth pointed to a grey house with an owl carved over the door. Through the windows, Percy could see shelves full of books and many engineering tools. "There, the Athena house."

"So Athena's your mother?" Percy asked.

"Yes. She's also the mother of everyone who lives in that building, around twenty of us."

"And who exactly is Athena?"

Annabeth sighed. "My mother is the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and battle strategy." She marked off Athena's areas of influence on her fingers.

"How will I find out who my father is?"

"When he claims you."

"How will I know when that happens?"

Annabeth looked at him sideways. "Believe me, you'll know."

Percy nodded. "So where will I stay until that happens?"

"The Hermes dorm. Hermes is the god of messengers, commerce, and misfits. As a result, all unclaimed demigods stay there."

They walked up to a plain brown building, the paint cracked and missing in places. This house seemed to have the most amount of people in it compared to the other Houses. A number of campers were sitting on the front porch, playing a strange game that seemed to involve stealing the other players' pieces when they weren't looking. Above the door was engraved a picture of a stick with two snakes twining around it.

Annabeth stopped in front of the building. "Here you are. I'll let the Head give you more details and explain your schedule. If you need anything, ask any of the campers. They'll tell you what you need to know."

Percy nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Annabeth. For everything."

Annabeth smiled, but eyed him strangely, looking almost as if she was examining him for something. "My pleasure. I'll probably check up on you once you get settled in. You're good for now, right?"

Percy's reply was cut off by a shout from behind him. From the Hermes dorm, a tall, blonde boy stepped out, smiling at Annabeth. The boy looked older than Percy, but he still couldn't have been more than twenty years old. He was handsome except for a large scar that ran down from his eye to his chin.

He walked up to Percy and Annabeth, grinning widely. "Hey, Annabeth," he said, raising his hand in greeting. He turned to look at Percy. "And you must be the new camper." He pulled Percy into a warrior's clasp, grabbing him by the wrist.

"Good to meet you," Percy said. "My name's Percy."

"Luke Castellan. I'm the Head of the Hermes dorm. Looks like I'll be taking care of you for a while."

Percy returned the smile. "I appreciate it."

Annabeth pulled out a pocket watch with a silver chain and jolted slightly. "Oh, I'm late for tactics class. Sorry, but I have to go." She turned around and jogged back towards the training area.

Luke clapped Percy on the back hard. "Why don't I show you around?" Together, they walked into the Hermes dorm. The inside of the building was in the same state of disrepair as the outside. Bunk beds were scattered throughout the room, littered with personal belongings and clothing. On one nightstand was a copy of the Bible; on another, an assortment of daggers, knives, and other weapons. A large boy was snoring loudly in the corner; a pair of black-haired boys was standing over his bed, laughing quietly as they carefully placed a large spider on his face.

"Oi, knock it off, boys," Luke said, quickly coming over to take the spider from them. The pair looked like twins, almost identical in appearance. They sulked as Luke chastised them, muttering quietly to themselves.

"If you've nothing to do, go and clean out the stables." Luke pointed at the door, and the twins slowly shuffled out. As they passed Percy, one of them made a mean face, and the other silently ran his finger across his throat, grinning mischievously.

"Hey, new boy," the one on the right said evilly. "See you again soon."

With that ominous proclamation, the twins left, giggling to themselves.

Luke sighed, returning to Percy's side. "Those were the Stoll brothers, Travis and Connor. Good kids, though too fond of jests for their own good."

"They…threatened me as they walked out. What's that about?"

Luke raised his eyebrows, smiling much as the twins had. "Now _that's_ something I signed off on. A Hermes tradition to initiate any new campers. I hope you won't take it personally."

Percy felt anxious, though he could tell that Luke was joking in good faith. "I look forward to it," he said, laughing nervously.

"You'd be the first one to do so," Luke said, leading Percy through the maze of beds. "Sorry for the mess, we're always crowded. Hermes takes all of the unclaimed kids, and the gods tend to be forgetful when it comes to their kids. But you'll never lack for friends," he said, smiling. "Most of the campers are good people. You'll find some friends soon, I promise."

They stopped at a bunk bed in the middle of the room. "This is where you'll sleep," Luke said, patting the top bunk. "This chest is for all of your personal belongings. We've already given you a few pieces of clothing to wear."

The chest contained a number of good-quality shirts and coats, as well as loose-fitting shirts and pants for everyday wear. As plain as the clothing was, it was the best Percy had ever owned, and he gazed at the chest in shock.

"This is all mine?" he asked.

"Is there a problem?"

Percy shook his head. "No, it's amazing."

Luke smiled and handed him a piece of parchment. "Here. This is your schedule. You start training tomorrow, make sure to be there on time."

Percy looked at the paper blankly. "I can't read," he said meekly, handing the schedule back.

Luke nodded, going to a desk in the corner and writing a note on a separate piece of paper. He came back and read Percy's schedule out loud, making sure Percy knew all of the different times and places for his activities. He listed off the programs Percy was attending, including weapons training, archery, ancient Greek language and mythology studies, horse riding, and cleaning duty. Luke also added that Percy would take an English class until he learned how to read and write. The prospect of being able to read excited Percy, who had had no schooling until this point.

Luke handed Percy the schedule back. "If you forget anything, ask one of the campers to read it for you. They'll tell you where to go."

Percy nodded, putting the schedule in the chest by his bed. "Thank you."

"I'll let you get set up here. You should walk around and explore camp before dinner, see where you're going to live for the next few years." Luke pulled Percy into another clasp, patting his back before walking out of the room.

Percy looked around, grasping the silver seashell on his necklace. From outside, he could hear people shouting and laughing, enjoying the cool summer day. He quickly changed into the clothes set out for him and went outside, blinking in the light of the sun.


	6. Making New Friends

Percy wandered around camp for a few hours, looking in on all of the training that was going on. He was interested in the sword fighting, watching a series of challenges in the arena as the fighters slashed at each other. As he watched, one of them received a serious cut on his torso, falling over. A pair of campers rushed in and carried the injured fighter away, his opponent following them and shouting apologies. In another fight, a burly fighter in full plate was pitted against a small girl in leather armor. Percy thought the fight wasn't fair, until the girl pulled out two daggers and started spinning across the field, lithely dodging the giant's heavy, lumbering strikes. Percy watched in awe as the girl danced around her opponent, gracefully moving out of his reach while moving in to strike when he was open. Eventually, the armored fighter got tired and the girl swooped in and laid him low with a swift kick. Percy clapped along with the audience that had accumulated during the fight, impressed.

He checked out the stables next, a large building near the edge of camp. A number of horses were kept in stalls, softly nickering and stomping the ground. Percy thought that some of the horses were giving him strange looks, following him as he walked by. The horses that the camp kept were strong, bred for war and some wearing bronze armor. A number of horses had large feathery wings coming out of their backs, flexing them in their stalls. In an iron-lined stall stood a horse that breathed fire out of its nostrils, which the handlers gave a wide berth. The horse kept rubbing its face on the walls of its stall, looking as if the fire hurt its nose.

Percy was about to leave the stables when he heard someone call out to him.

"Hey, new guy!"

Percy turned around, wondering who was calling him. When he looked back, he couldn't see anyone there, only the horses in their stalls. One of the horses, a large brown stallion with white wings, was looking directly at him,

"Yeah, you!"

Percy jumped in surprise. The voice seemed to be coming from the _horse_ , who was still looking at him. "Are…are you talking to me?"

The horse snorted. "You see anyone else here? 'Course I'm talking to you." The horse had a gruff voice and a slight Scottish accent. "You want to help me out?"

"W-What do you need?"

The horse nudged its head towards a bucket of apples in the corner. "Mind giving me one of those? I'm starving here."

Percy awkwardly bent over and picked up one of the apples, offering it gingerly to the horse. The horse quickly gobbled up the apple from his hand, causing Percy to withdraw in fear. The horse chomped on the apple for a few seconds, shaking its head and flapping its wings in satisfaction.

Percy eyed the stallion warily. "So, you're a talking horse?"

"Talking _pegasus_. Well, we all talk, it's just not a lot of people listen. Name's Lightning." Lightning threw the core of the apple in the air and caught it in his mouth, swallowing heavily. "Who're you?"

"Percy Jackson." Percy felt extremely strange introducing himself to a horse.

"Pleasure. This your first day?" Percy nodded. "Thought so. I remember all of the kids who talk to me." Lightning tapped the ground with his hoof. "So how're you liking it?"

"It's…nice." Percy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "It's a lot to get used to."

Lightning nodded sagely. "Aye, it is. I'm surprised; most new kids aren't ready to walk around camp this early. They get a tad overwhelmed. But look at you, all wide-eyed and carefree."

"Yeah…" Percy didn't exactly feel carefree at the moment.

Lightning dipped his head towards the basket again. "Hey, you wanna give me another one of those?"

Percy threw another apple at the pegasus, who caught it deftly in his mouth. Lightning ate the apple noisily, chomping it between his flat teeth. Once it was finished, he shook his body with a whinny.

"Those are good! Listen, I can tell you're a good kid. If you ever need anything, you just give old Lightning a call. I may not be able to assist you at the exact moment," He glared at the chained door that closed his stable. "But I'll try to get to you if I can."

"Thank you." Percy didn't know how much help he could get from a horse, but he supposed anyone on his side was a good thing.

"No problem. Ah, here comes Flatfoot." Lightning turned his head derisively towards his left, where a stable-hand was storming angrily towards them. His gait was awkward, probably a symptom of the condition that was the boy's nickname.

Flatfoot berated Percy for feeding Lightning outside of his meal time, complaining that the pegasus was willful enough without people indulging his every desire. Percy was quickly pushed out of the stables, Lightning sounding neighs of protest as he went.

Percy stumbled as he exited the stables, kicking up a cloud of dust from the loose dirt that surrounded the building. He dusted his new clothes off and started to walk forward, but barely went twenty feet before he was almost run down by a pair of horses, their riders locked in combat as they ran through the camp spouting curses at each other. As he stumbled back in surprise, he felt a pair of arms stop him from falling over.

"Best watch yourself," the person who had caught him said. Percy lifted himself to his feet and turned to face them.

The person was a short black-haired girl with similar green eyes as he had. She was grinning at him as he mentally chided himself for making a fool of himself again. As Percy looked at her more, he realized that she looked familiar.

"You're the girl who fought in the arena earlier." She looked different when she wasn't in her leather armor, but it was definitely the same person.

The girl's smile widened. "You saw that, did you? I'm glad; most of my fights don't go nearly that well." She chuckled. "I haven't seen you before, though. You're new?"

"Yes. I just joined today."

"Good to meet you. I'm Marina. Daughter of Poseidon." She bowed her head respectfully.

"Percy Jackson. Son of…Sally Jackson."

Marina laughed again. "Sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know your godly parent yet."

From the stables, Percy could vaguely hear Lightning shouting out from his stall. "Is that me lassie I smell? Oi, Marina, get over here!"

Marina slightly cocked her head, but otherwise didn't seem to hear the pegasus. "Why don't we walk? I've got oaring soon."

Percy nodded, and the two started towards the waterfront.

"So you're a daughter of Poseidon?"

Marina nodded. "Yes. Head of the Poseidon Cabin, too."

"And Poseidon is…"

"God of the ocean, earthquakes, and horses."

"Of course. So what does it mean to be the child of a god?"

"Depends. Most demigods have some special abilities related to their godly parent, but nothing crazy, typically. Children of more powerful gods, like Zeus or Poseidon, can have better powers."

" _Powers_?"

Marina nodded. "Yeah. Most of the Poseidon kids are able to manipulate water to some extent, and," She gave Percy a meaningful look. "Almost all of us can talk to horses."

Percy looked at her in surprise, but Marina kept looking ahead of her. They walked for a while in awkward silence.

"So," he said. "I wanted to say…that you fought well. In the arena."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I'm afraid my fighting style is a bit…unorthodox. Not many people see much glory in tiring out your opponent. The Ares kids call me out all the time."

"It was impressive." Percy was shocked that people could disparage her graceful moves. "How are you so fast?"

"The ocean is swift, Percy. Rushing currents can move like you've never seen."

"Uh huh." Percy was afraid that speaking cryptically would become a common theme in this place.

"You'll understand in time. But," Marina looked to her left as they approached the beach. "I've got to go now. They're expecting me." She bowed her head again. "It was nice meeting you. I hope I'll see you around." With a final wave, she walked off, leaving Percy alone again.

Percy looked awkwardly around him as he stood in the middle of the path. He noticed that a crowd of people was moving towards the dining hall, clamoring loudly. He decided to follow them, entering the large open-air pavilion as dinner was being served.

* * *

The hall was crowded with people sitting at the twelve large tables that littered the floor. At the head of the hall was a long table where Chiron was sitting with a number of camp officials. For some reason, Grover was standing behind the table, waving furiously at Percy.

Percy meekly waved back, then moved to the Hermes table, where a seat had been made between Luke and the Stoll twins, who were smiling a bit too much. As he was about to sit, Percy noticed a blueberry pie had been placed on the seat. He carefully moved it onto the table, to the disappointed groans of the entire Hermes cabin.

"This one's too smart!" bemoaned one of the Stolls - Percy couldn't tell which one. "That one gets them every time!"

Percy smiled and shook his head. "Gonna have to try harder than that," he said, immediately regretting challenging them as the twins started to whispers about their next move. He jumped as a plate of food flew in from his side with a gust of wind. The plate was soon followed by a cup of tea, and Percy started ducking his head, wary of flying cutlery. Percy noticed that all of the campers threw a bit of their food into a fiery brazier before eating. He decided to follow their lead and scraped some off of his plate into the fire. The flames turned bright blue as he did so, which Percy took as a good sign.

Percy cast his gaze over the hall as he ate. All of the tables were a flurry of activity as people constantly kept joining and leaving, and the campers of each table were often busy with other things besides food. In one table, which Percy assumed to be the fighting cabin, the occupants often broke out into spontaneous fight, which quickly resolved and were often followed by the people involved in the brawl to sit next to each other, laughing as if nothing had happened. As Percy watched, a crowd of people were surrounding two campers locked in an arm wrestling challenge. Sweat beaded down the two opponents' faces as the crowd cheered loudly behind them.

At another table, many of the campers were working on complicated machinery rather than eating. One camper worked on a machine that seemed to compose entirely of moving gears, and Percy found it a miracle that she was able to work on it without crushing her fingers. The boy sitting next to her wasn't so lucky, as his clock-looking device suddenly blasted out a burst of black smoke, forcing the people in the immediate area to flee the table, coughing.

At the Athena table, most of the campers were eating while also reading books, absentmindedly bringing food to their mouths with various degrees of success as they thumbed through old manuscripts. Percy tried to catch Annabeth's eye, but she was currently locked in a debate with another camper over some ancient paper, making wild hand movements as she spoke.

Percy spotted Marina sitting at the head of the Poseidon table, as another camper was waving his hands to make the water in his cup move. The water flew across the table, making waves in the air and circling around campers as it moved. Marina removed her gaze from the show to look at Percy, smiling. Percy blushed and focused on his food.

At his own table, campers talked animatedly with each other, making rude jests and hand signals to one another. Their table was the most crowded, and everyone had to squeeze together to fit. Further down, Percy could see a number of card and dice games being played by the Hermes children. He also saw a number of them cheat at the games, some better than others. When one young camper was caught cheating, the other campers laughed instead of getting angry, and offered tips on how to succeed the next time.

"How was your first day?"

Percy started as he realized that someone had asked him a question, and he turned to see Luke looking at him expectantly.

"It was great," he said, stuttering.

Luke looked between him and Marina. "Make any new friends?" He grinned mischievously and raised his eyebrows knowingly. "That was quick."

"Shut up," Percy said, laughing.

Luke raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright. But seriously, what do you think?"

Percy thought for a moment. "I like it here," he decided. "The people are…nice enough."

Luke smiled. "Better get ready. Your training starts tomorrow."

Percy nodded, quietly poking the food in front of him with a fork. Training…Percy was sure he'd make a fool of himself in front of all of these warriors. Working in the docks had kept him fit, but he was still uncoordinated and unaccustomed to fighting. Although he had somehow fought off Eurynomos. Percy fingered his seashell necklace. Perhaps he did have some secret power from his father.

"You good, Percy?"

Percy suddenly looked up, forgetting that he was still in the middle of a conversation. His face turned red from embarrassment. "Sorry, I just have a lot of things on my mind."

Luke still looked at him with concern, but he nodded. "I understand. It's a lot to take in. You'll get used to it, though. I promise."

Percy thought it would take quite a while to get used to everything around him, but he didn't say anything. He spent the rest of dinner talking to the other campers at the table, laughing at their jokes and even trying a game of cards, though he lost spectacularly, somehow managing to gain cards when he wasn't looking at his hand.

He was halfway through his food, watching one of the Hermes kids talking to a girl at the Ares table for a dare, when a sudden light filled the dining pavilion. Percy covered his eyes, blinking, before seeing what had happened.

Standing in front of the head table was a tall woman in bronze armor with an owl perched on her shoulder. She looked at the assembled demigods haughtily, and was giving off a silver light that made it slightly hurt to look straight at her.

The hall had become silent as soon as she appeared, as all of the campers looked at the woman in shock. The Athena table, in particular, looked as if a barrel of gunpowder had exploded in the middle of the hall, though one boy was so engrossed in his book that he hadn't noticed anything was wrong. Annabeth stared at the woman with wide eyes, mouth moving in what Percy thought was a prayer.

Chiron stood up quickly, revealing his lower half. His torso was the same as Percy had seen when they had met, but he had the bottom half of a horse, four legs and all. Percy jumped a bit as he noticed this, but he managed to keep quiet.

"M-My lady!" Chiron exclaimed, bowing deeply. "This is an unexpected surprise!"

The woman gave Chiron a stern glare. "All surprises are unexpected. And _I_ don't need your permission to enter this place."

Chiron balked, not expecting to be corrected on his grammar. "My apologies, Lady Athena, I just meant-"

"Enough. I'm here for a quest. I'm told that's your specialty here." Athena looked over the demigods again.

 _This_ was Athena? Percy had imagined the gods as…well, he didn't have any idea of how they would look, but he didn't expect them to look…normal. Athena looked like any other woman. A _scary_ woman, but definitely human-looking.

"A quest?" Chiron asked. "I'm sorry, my lady, but that's not how it works-"

"I am a _god_ , Chiron. I don't care how anything works. I am the exception." She examined her arm straps idly. "As much as it pains me to ask, I need some of your 'heroes' to do some work for me. A belonging of mine has been stolen, no doubt due to the work of my oafish brother, Ares." Athena's eyes flickered to the Ares table, whose occupants had tensed up at her insult to their father. "So." She clapped her hands together. "I need a few demigods to go on a quest to get it back. I'm sure that can't be too hard."

Chiron swallowed heavily, then spoke again. "My lady, this is not how quests are done. We require a prophecy-"

Athena whirled to face him, eyes blazing. "You want a prophecy? Fine. _Do what I say, or I'll kill all of you_."

Chiron's words died in his throat as he slowly sat back down. From Athena's shoulder, the owl gave a soft hoot.

"As I was saying, I want some demigods. Any takers?"

The hall was silent as everyone looked at Athena in fear. She waited patiently for a minute, staying silent as the campers looked at each other in confusion. Just as it looked like no one would step forward, Percy felt a warm glow suddenly come from above him, and the area around him became swathed in soft blue light. He looked up to see the image of a golden trident floating above his head, spinning softly as the entire hall turned to look at him. With wide eyes, he could see people pointing to him and whispering to each other. From the Poseidon table, Marina looked at him like he was about to be hanged.

Athena smiled. "I see we have a volunteer."


	7. Involuntary Heroism

The trident floated peacefully in the air, seemingly unaware of the terrible consequences it had placed on Percy. He stared at the image above him with extreme trepidation. The trident was excellently-crafted, resplendent with gold and sea-green jewels. After a few seconds, it slowly faded away, leaving a silent hall and a very confused Percy. Percy awkwardly cleared his throat as he saw everyone looking at him in surprise.

Without taking his eyes off of him, Marina slowly brought her hands up above her table. She slammed the table, making a loud thud that resonated throughout the pavilion. She kept hitting the table rhythmically, slowly at first but speeding up. The other kids at the Poseidon table eventually took up the action, pounding the table with increasing confidence. The Ares table, not one to be outdone, started slamming their table harder, giving guttural shouts as they knocked over cups. Eventually, all of the other groups were hitting their tables, still looking straight at Percy.

Percy felt very strange as the Hermes table started doing it, Luke gravely smacking his palm against the wood while the twins were beside themselves with mirth, quickly drumming both of their hands against the table. The pavilion was filled with the cacophony raised from a hundred demigods loudly slamming tables and shouting.

Athena looked slightly perturbed at the events that were unfolding around her. She glanced warily around her, probably wondering what the puny mortals were doing.

The noise rose to a peak as everyone sped up, and Percy could feel the table shake under his hands. From the front of the hall, Chiron stood up and waved his hands, stopping the clamor instantly.

"It appears one of our campers has been claimed," he shouted. "Rise, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

Shaking slightly, Percy stood up, acutely aware of the eyes of everyone on him. As he stood, the Poseidon table erupted into shouts at their new member, clanging their swords and shields together. He kept standing, unsure if he was supposed to do anything else.

Athena looked over to the waterfront before regarding Percy. "Congratulations, son of Poseidon. My uncle has decided to bring you forward. Do you think you're up to the task I've set out?"

"Honestly?" Percy swallowed heavily. "I doubt it. M-my lady."

Muffled laughter scattered around the hall as Athena chuckled. "A humble demigod. How refreshing. Come here." She raised her arm and beckoned for him to get closer. He slowly went around the table and approached the dais where she was standing. He bowed his head fearfully as she looked him over.

"Doesn't look like much, does he?" she muttered under her breath. She turned back to face the rest of the hall. "Who will accompany the son of Poseidon?"

Unless someone else was suddenly claimed by their parent, Percy didn't think anyone would step forward. Going on a dangerous quest was bad enough, but going with someone as inexperienced as himself was, he assumed, suicide. He was enormously surprised, then, when Annabeth shot her hand up and stood from her bench.

"I will go with him," she shouted a bit too loudly.

Athena looked at her warmly. "One of my own. Good job, Annabeth."

Annabeth gave a small smile at her mother's praise, though she still looked frightened. She made her way to stand next to Percy, bowing deeply in front of her mother.

"What are you doing?" Percy whispered.

"Saving your life," she hissed back.

From behind Chiron, Grover ran out, waving his arms wildly.

"I'm coming too!" he called out.

Athena regarded Grover with mild disdain. "...Sure, you can come, too."

Grover grinned at Percy, who looked back in concern.

Athena clapped her hands together. "There. Three seems like a good number. You will be my champions."

Percy didn't remember ever agreeing to be this woman's champion, and he felt a terrible sense of foreboding about whatever she was about to ask him to do.

Annabeth stepped forward, bowing again. "What would you have us do?"

"As I said, I have lost something important to me. I need you to get it back."

"What is it?"

"A powerful magical item. The Sword of Peleus."

From behind Athena, Chiron started slightly in surprise, though he managed to regain his composure quickly. "My lady, wouldn't it be better if we talked about this somewhere else, in private?"

Athena sighed, clearly annoyed by the interruption. "Fine." She snapped her fingers, and Percy's vision went white.

When he blinked, he was standing in the middle of an office with Athena, Annabeth, and Grover. The office was finely decorated, with expensive silks and ancient weapons hung on the walls. From the window, Percy could see the rest of camp, so they couldn't have gone far. He guessed that this was Chiron's office, and doubted that the director would appreciate them using his quarters.

He was still recovering from their instantaneous movement, unable to process how they had gotten to this room so quickly, but Athena kept talking as if nothing had happened.

"So," she said, sitting down in the lush chair. "We were talking about the sword."

"Why can't you get it yourself?" Percy asked, stepping forward next to Annabeth.

Athena's eyes widened slightly at his boldness. "Because, under his infinite wisdom, Zeus has forbidden us from interfering with human affairs until the war is done. And whatever it would take for me to find and get the sword back would definitely be considered _interference_."

"Why? This doesn't have anything to do with the war."

Athena shook her head. "That's the second part. Once you get the sword, you must bring it to the American army for them to use. The sword was taken before I could deliver it myself, which was no doubt the intention."

"Bring it to _America_?" Percy spluttered. "That's thousands of miles away!"

"Then you'd best get a fast ship," Athena replied, glaring angrily at him. "I'm told it's dangerous on the ocean."

Both Annabeth and Grover were looking at Percy like he was crazy, astonished by his lack of respect for Athena. Annabeth grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back. "I never agreed to be part of this," Percy said. "What do I gain from risking my life?" He could feel Annabeth's grip tighten as he spoke, her nails digging into his skin. Pain shot through his arm.

Athena's eyes blazed. "I could vaporize you with a _thought_ , son of Poseidon. You are in no position to question me. If it's a reward you want, you had better start acting more civilly towards me."

"I don't want anything."

Athena raised her eyebrow. "Really? A poor dock worker that doesn't want anything? Even one with a crippled mother?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm the goddess of knowledge. I know everything."

 _Except where your sword is_. Percy pressed his lips together, not daring to hope. "And you're saying you could help her."

"Not me, specifically. But I could ask Apollo to take a look at her. _If_ you do what I say. And with that attitude, I'm starting to rethink my generosity."

Percy bit his retort back. If his mother was healed, they wouldn't be at such a loss for money. And they might even be able to get rid of Gabriel…

"I'll do it." Annabeth and Grover gave out audible sighs of relief as he said this, and Annabeth released her grasp on him.

Athena grinned. "That's more like it." She stood up and looked over all of them. "Take a day to get ready, then you should set out. I want this completed as soon as possible." She snapped her fingers, and a paper, inkpot, and quill appeared in front of her. She quickly wrote something on the paper, then used a stamp that similarly came out of thin air to mark the paper. She handed the paper to Annabeth. "I'd start looking here. Ask for the Cabeiri, and tell them I sent you. They should be able to help."

"Thank you," Annabeth said, tucking the paper in her bag. "We'll get the sword back."

"I should hope so." Athena cocked her head, as if she was listening to something. "Ah, it appears Zeus has noticed where I've been. I'd best be off. Look away, children." Annabeth and Grover immediately turned their backs to Athena as she said this, and Annabeth forcefully turned Percy to do the same. From behind them, Percy saw a flash of light and a wave of heat wash over him. When he looked back, Athena was gone.

He was looking where she had gone when Annabeth reached up and slapped him in the face.

"Ow! What was that for?" he said, rubbing his cheek ruefully.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, talking to Athena like that?" Annabeth hissed. "She wasn't lying when she said she could vaporize you."

"I never asked for this!" Percy argued. "I think I have a right to question her decisions."

"Not to her _face_!" Annabeth sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Grover nodded, looking distressed. "You really should stop antagonizing every god you meet."

"Look, if you think I'm so bad, why'd you agree to join the quest?"

"Because," Annabeth said angrily. "Judging by what just happened, you'd die before you got a mile from camp."

The door to the office suddenly burst open as Chiron ran in, breathing heavily. He looked at the three of them in dismay.

"Where is Athena?" he asked, looking around as if she might be hiding somewhere.

"She left," Annabeth said. "And we're to leave tomorrow."

Chiron nodded, clearly troubled. "I'm afraid that's how it appears." His horse tail swished anxiously behind him. "I believe that we've all had enough excitement for tonight. We'll talk in the morning. For now, you're dismissed. Get your things in order."

They left the office single-file. Annabeth was still giving Percy a dirty look, though she seemed to have softened slightly. Percy's cheek still tingled where she had hit him.

"See you tomorrow, then." Percy waved meekly as Annabeth turned and walked down the hall, muttering to herself all of the supplies she would need. Grover nodded to him and left too, anxiously wringing his hands together.

Percy followed them out and headed towards the Hermes dorm. Full night had settled already, and he just wanted to sleep. Torches had been lit around camp, illuminating the path and a few nighttime activities. The Hephaestus cabin was brightly lit from the light of several forges blazing inside. As he walked, Percy could see people watch him, pointing and whispering with each other as he passed.

As he trudged up to the Hermes dorm, he saw that Luke and Marina were talking on the front porch. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were whispering intensely. When they noticed him approaching, they quickly stopped.

"Evening," Percy said, raising his hand. "Don't stop on my account."

"Ah, Percy. Just the man I wanted to see." Luke smiled. "I'm told you've made a name for yourself already."

"Against my will, unfortunately," Percy responded. Luke chuckled.

"That's often the way it goes. Well," he said, clapping his hands. "It looks like you'll be leaving the Hermes dorm. Arrived and claimed in the same day, that's…impressive."

Marina stepped off of the porch to Percy. "I'll bring you to the Poseidon quarters. That's where you'll be staying from now on. Your things are already there."

Percy nodded. "Of course. Thank you." He raised his hand to Luke. "Thank you for having me."

Luke gave a quick nod. "Pleasure. Try not to get yourself killed." He smiled widely.

"It looks like it's too late for that."

Chuckling, Luke turned and went through the door inside.

Marina beckoned for him to follow her, and they walked across the field that separated all of the cabins.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Marina said as they walked. "Taking a quest on your first day, and one straight from Athena…"

"It can't be that bad, surely? We're only getting a sword back."

Marina looked at him like he'd taken leave of his senses. "Have you thought to wonder who would be powerful enough to steal something from the goddess of _knowledge_ without her knowing?"

"Ah. I see your point."

"Absolute best case scenario, you somehow manage to steal it back without them noticing. And, no offense, but you don't look like the sneaky type."

"I'll choose to take that as a compliment."

"So you're probably going to have to fight whoever stole the sword to get it back. And they'll most likely be wielding the sword - a _magic_ sword - to prevent you from taking it."

Percy nodded, realizing what exactly he'd been chosen for. By then, they had arrived at the front of the Poseidon cabin. It appeared to be made out of a repurposed ship's hull, with a door and windows cut into the side. Blue-green lanterns hung on the sides, bathing the area in soft light. Solidified barnacles clung onto the bottom of the sides, and seaweed grew up the walls like vines.

They stepped in to find a room that resembled a below-decks quarters on a ship. Rows of beds were scattered around the room, but a number of hammocks hung from the ceiling. A large window had been cut in the back wall to show the waterfront, moonlight glinting off of the rippling waves. There were some people already in the cabin, getting ready for bed or talking quietly to each other. Crystals were placed around the room that gave off a dim blue light. A large harpoon hung on the wall next to the horn of a narwhal.

Most of the campers looked up as Marina and Percy walked in. A quiet murmur started as they whispered to each other. Percy could see Flatfoot, the stable hand from before, glare at him from across the room.

A tall black-haired boy stood up from his dice game and walked towards Percy.

"You're the new guy, right?" He gave Percy a firm handshake, causing Percy to wince slightly in pain.

"Percy Jackson."

"Adrian Dunbar. Nice to meet you."

Percy took his hand back, shaking it to regain feeling in his fingertips. "You too."

Marina patted Percy on the back. "Adrian, why don't you show Percy to his sleeping quarters?"

"Sure. Come with me." He beckoned Percy to follow him and walked back into the middle of the beds. Percy looked back at Marina quickly, then decided to follow Adrian. The boy led him to a small hammock in the corner of the room, with his box of things tucked underneath.

"Did ye really take a quest from Athena?" Adrian whispered to him conspiratorially. When Percy nodded gravely, he smiled broadly. "That's incredible. You must be really brave."

"Or stupid," Percy responded dryly. Adrian gave out a loud bark of laughter, causing everyone to look at him in alarm.

"Aye, or stupid. Though we're all a little of both, here. Comes with the territory, kind of."

"Sounds like I'll fit right in."

"Aye. Though you won't get the chance to, what with your leaving to go on a quest."

Percy thought for a moment. "You're a son of Poseidon, too, right?" Adrian nodded. "So you're my…half-brother?"

"I am. Just like Marina's your half-sister. Everyone in this cabin's like that, though it's not exactly as simple as half-siblings. Relations get a bit fuzzy when the gods are involved."

Percy was an only child; he had never had siblings before. Having them now didn't feel like an altogether bad thing.

He eyed the hammock that was given to him. "Thank you for bringing me. I can take it from here."

"You got a big day tomorrow, aye." Adrian winked, grinning. "Better rest up." He patted Percy on the back heavily, driving the air from his lungs. With a last smile, he went back to the game he was playing.

Percy coughed, noticing that Adrian was too strong for his own good. He changed into his night clothes, a simple cloth tunic and loose trousers. He tried a number of times to get on the hammock, once falling onto the floor to the amusement of everyone. He eventually managed to scramble onto the hammock and stay there, gripping the canvas tightly. He laid there for a while, looking at the roof and hearing the quiet movements of his fellow cabin mates. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend that the swaying of the hammock was that of a ship, and that he was in the middle of the ocean. He fell asleep to dreams of the sea.


	8. Second Baptism

The clamor of a loud bell rang through the cabin, causing Percy to jerk awake and fall painfully out of his hammock. He hit the floor with a loud _thunk_ , groaning. He looked up to see Adrian gazing down at him, grinning.

"Time to wake up." He rang the bell again loudly. "You've a big day ahead of you."

Percy stood up, brushing his night clothes off. "Thank you," he said, rifling through his chest.

"Chiron said he wants to see you," Adrian stated. "Best not to keep him waiting."

Percy nodded, pulling out a clean outfit for the day. Adrian left him, going up to the next sleeping camper to ring his bell directly next to their ear. Percy quickly changed then left the cabin, yawning.

Dawn was just beginning to rise, but a number of campers were about their days already. Training sessions were happening in the barracks, and several pairs of people were sparring in the arena. Fifteen campers ran past Percy, chasing the one in front who was waving a bright red piece of cloth.

He made his way to the administration building, where Chiron's office was located. As he walked, he noticed that people kept staring at him. Some members of the Athena cabin who were standing outside eyed him as he went past, whispering to each other. He supposed the events of last night were common knowledge around camp by now. One group laughed as he passed, and he saw one person draw his finger across his neck mockingly. Percy determinedly ignored the stares, looking straight ahead as he walked. Eventually, he reached the office and timidly opened the door.

As he stepped in he saw that he was the last to arrive; Annabeth and Grover were already sitting across from Chiron, talking animatedly. The conversation stopped as soon as he entered.

"Ah, Percy." Chiron still had the bottom half of a horse, which slightly unnerved Percy. "It's good to see you."

"Hey." Percy took a seat next to Annabeth, who had a large pouch on the floor next to her.

"We were talking about the purpose of your…quest." Chiron made it clear that he did not consider this a proper quest.

Annabeth nodded. "I was looking into the sword during the night. There wasn't much information about it in the library, though."

Chiron sighed. "I'm the one you should be asking, Miss Chase."

Annabeth cocked her head. "Why? Are you involved?"

"I gave Peleus his sword myself." Chiron shuffled nervously behind the desk. "And…I'm also his grandfather."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "His grandfather?"

"He's my daughter's son." Chiron sighed wistfully. "Little Endeïs. I should send her a message soon."

Percy interrupted his musings. "Do you think we can ask your grandson about the sword?"

"I very much doubt that, considering he's been dead for over three thousand years."

"Three _thousand_? But that means that you're-"

"Too old," Chiron said gravely.

"But you know him," Annabeth interjected. "And about the sword."

Chiron nodded. "Yes, I do." He settled back and looked behind them in remembrance. "He had been tricked into going on a hunting trip in centaur territory. His companion, Acastus, wanted him dead for reasons that would take an entire afternoon to explain. When a group of angry centaurs showed up, Acastus fled, taking Peleus' sword with him as to make him defenseless." Chiron chuckled, shaking his head. "I was a younger centaur then. I begged Hephaestus to make me a sword that would save my grandson. And what a sword it was! I rode in just in time to save Peleus, giving him the sword right as the centaurs were charging towards him."

"So it is a magic sword?" Annabeth seemed enthralled by Chiron's story.

"Yes. Hephaestus never does anything halfway; the sword is immensely powerful. In the wrong hands, it could wreak havoc."

"Why did Athena have it?"

Chiron shrugged. "It's been centuries since the sword's been used. Athena probably came across it at some point and decided to keep it for 'research.'"

"And now she wants us to get it back," Percy said.

"Like I said, the sword is too powerful to be left with someone with malicious intentions. Even if Athena hadn't arrived, we would have sent out a group of more experienced demigods to handle the issue. Unfortunately, Athena decided to force our hand and send you three." He suddenly realized he had insulted them. "Apologies, I meant no disrespect. It's just…" His voice faded out. "Anyhow, I think it would be best if you set out as soon as possible. These kind of things are often time-sensitive." Percy, Annabeth, and Grover stood up, bringing them eye-level to Chiron's chest.

"Who are these people we're supposed to meet?" Annabeth took out the paper that Athena had given her. "The Cabeiri?"

Chiron thought for a second. "Old blacksmithing gods. They used to assist Hephaestus in his forges. Most likely they helped him create the sword."

Annabeth nodded, putting the paper back in her pocket. She reached down and picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll meet you guys at the front of camp in an hour." With that, she left the office, the door closing behind her. Grover excused himself and followed after her, leaving Percy and Chiron alone.

Chiron eyed Percy critically. "I must admit, I have grave misgivings about your quest. I've never seen a demigod claimed on their first day and set out on a quest on their second."

Percy smirked. "I'm afraid that this is new to me, as well."

Chiron gave a begrudging smile. "That's true." He pointed at Percy's necklace. "Can I see that for a second?"

Percy hesitantly took off the seashell necklace, handing it to Chiron, who examined it closely. He pressed on the base of the seashell, causing it to transform into a bronze-colored sword. Chiron gave a low whistle as he looked at the sword.

"This is quite impressive," he said, twisting it in his hand. "Where did you get this?"

"It was left for me," Percy explained. "I don't know by whom."

Chiron pressed his finger onto the hilt of the sword, making it turn back into a necklace. "This sword has a history," he said as he handed it back to Percy. "It's called Anaklusmos. Riptide, in English."

"A sword with a name?" Percy looked at the seashell in his hand. "That's strange."

"It draws its power from the ocean. Much like the children of Poseidon." Chiron gave him a strange look. "I'd recommend staying near the shore."

Percy nodded, putting the necklace on. "Am I excused, sir?"

Chiron waved his hand in dismissal. "Of course, go. Get ready."

Percy left the office as Chiron fixed some papers on his desk. He decided to break his fast before leaving, heading towards the dining pavilion. He noticed a distinct hush settled over the crowd as he stepped in and walked towards the Poseidon table. His half-siblings were enthusiastic enough to make up for everyone else; they raised a cheer as he approached, clapping his back as he sat down. One boy brought out a fiddle and started playing a fast shanty.

A plate of sausage and eggs was placed in front of Percy, along with a tankard of rum, which caused Percy to raise his eyebrows in surprise. He politely declined the drink, hoping to remain clear-headed when he left camp. The girl who had offered it shrugged at his response and downed the whole cup herself, finishing with a satisfied sigh.

A number of toasts were made in Percy's honor as he ate his food, laughing at the jests of his cabin mates. The Poseidon table was the rowdiest one, causing people at other tables to glare at them in annoyance. The Athena children seemed especially cool, and more than one of them gave Percy dirty looks.

"What's with them?" Percy asked of a broad-shouldered boy sitting next to him.

"Children of Poseidon and Athena don't tend to get along so well." He spat on the ground. "Old rivalry 'twixt our parents."

"It's not that bad, truly," explained a smaller boy. "Between the cabins as whole, it's more of a friendly rivalry. But there have been some unfortunate events between individual campers."

The larger boy stood up and faced the Athena table. "Oi, watch yourselves, ya filthy birds! We got ourselves a champion!" With one hand, he thumped Percy on the back and flashed a vulgar sign with the other. The Athena table responded in kind, jeering and cursing and making a number of insulting ocean puns. Laughing, the boy sat down and ate his food with impressive ferocity.

After another ten minutes, Marina stood up from the head of the table. She had foregone her armor in favor of a blue woolen dress. The people sitting next to her thumped their cups to quiet everyone. "Children of Poseidon," she called out. "Our brother is going on his very first quest today." Percy could see the people around him smile as she spoke. "Rise, Percy."

Percy slowly stood up, blushing. He wondered if there was some ceremony for sending him off.

"Percy is going off into the world to prove himself," Marina continued. "But." She gave a sly grin. "He must never forget his roots."

Suddenly, Percy felt someone grab him by the forearms and raise him in the air. Everyone at the table stood up as more people held onto him, carrying him through the pavilion on his back with loud cheers.

"W-what's happening?" he shouted, extremely confused. He was looking up into the sky, and the sun was hurting his eyes. He brought his head back and saw Marina upside-down, walking behind the procession.

"Children of Poseidon are born from the sea," she yelled over the commotion. "It's time to go home, Percy." Laughter erupted from the crowd as she said this.

"Home, home, home," the group chanted as they carried him. As Percy looked left and right, he could see that people had stopped to watch them go past, laughing and waving. "Home, home." The fiddle player was following behind, singing a ribald ditty as he played.

Percy wrenched his head forward to look ahead, and noticed that they were headed towards the waterfront. They walked onto a pier and stopped at the end, heedless of his struggling to free himself. His head was aimed towards the water and he was tipped perilously towards the edge.

Marina walked next to Percy, placing a hand on his chest. "Percy Jackson," she shouted in a commanding voice. "Are you ready to go home?" An ear-splitting cheer rose up around them as people stomped the pier in excitement.

Percy looked at her with wide eyes. "I-I don't understand."

"You will." She smirked. Marina raised one hand, quieting the group. "From the ocean you were born, and from the ocean you shall return," she shouted in mock seriousness. "Prepare for your second baptism." She swiftly lowered her hand, and Percy felt the people carrying him reel him back and throw him deep into the water.

He hit the surface painfully, knocking all of the air out of his lungs. He scrabbled in the water for a few seconds, unable to tell which way was up. He clawed at his throat as he ran out of breath and began to drown. He thrashed wildly as he panicked, kicking up silt from the seafloor and blinding him further.

Just as he thought he would pass out, he took a deep breath and inhaled air instead of saltwater. He breathed in greedily, sucking in air from the water impossibly. As he breathed, his heart slowed and he was able to calm down. Opening his eyes, he realized that he could see perfectly, watching the ocean floor go out into the horizon. A silver-streaked fish swam past, nearly running into Percy's forehead.

"Watch it, kid," the fish said, swimming away with a flick of its tail.

Percy looked around him in surprise. Tongues of seaweed were growing next to him, slowly wafting in the current. The water was surprisingly warm. He experimentally kicked the ground, and he shot through the water. Although he lived near the water, Percy hadn't swam since he was a child, but he was shocked to see how naturally he moved through the water. He went to the wooden poles that mounted the pier to the ground and erupted through the water, jumping nearly a foot up and landing on the wooden boards.

An outburst of applause and cheers sounded as he splashed onto the pier, dousing everyone with water. The Poseidon cabin crowded around him, thumping him on the back and giving him warrior handshakes. Percy was soaking wet, but we couldn't help but smile as everyone surrounded him, saying congratulations and how impressive his leap had been.

Marina stepped forward and took Percy's hand, raising it above their heads. "Behold, Percy Jackson. The son of Poseidon!"

"Percy Jackson! Son of Poseidon!" The pier threatened to collapse as everyone stomped their feet in the clamor, pounding their shields and shouting.

Percy swelled with pride as he saw everyone cheer for him. He let out a sudden laugh, overcome with joy.

Marina looked at him sideways and smiled. "Welcome home."


	9. The Start of an Adventure

The Poseidon cabin paraded Percy around camp, carrying him above their heads as he dripped seawater onto the ground. A crown of seaweed had found its way onto Percy's head, gripping his hair strangely. People stopped what they were doing to watch the procession, cheering and raising their hands in greeting.

The group let him down in front of the Poseidon cabin, shouting as they streamed inside. Some of his half-siblings talked to Percy before heading in, clapping him on the back and giving him encouragements. One girl was telling him how to properly kill a hydra when Annabeth walked up, starting another round of shouting as the crowd saw them.

"Look who it is!" Marina stepped forward, arms outstretched.

Annabeth gave her a disinterested glance, then tossed a heavy bag at Percy, who stumbled back a bit as he caught it. "We're leaving, Percy. Let's go."

The crowd _ooh_ ed at Annabeth's disregard of Marina. The head counselor kept smiling as she examined Annabeth. "Is there a problem?"

"No," Annabeth replied flatly. "I just don't like the smell of fish."

A roar of laughter rose up at Annabeth's retort, and Marina's smile widened. "Clever. You're very clever, aren't you? That's your whole…deal." Annabeth ignored her, glaring angrily at the forest. "Good. You're going to be need to be clever to survive." Annabeth looked up in surprise.

Marina clapped Percy on the back and pushed him toward Annabeth. "I hope you'll be able to keep my brother out of trouble. Make sure he takes care of himself."

Annabeth nodded hesitantly. "I will."

"And Percy." Marina wriggled her eyebrows meaningfully. "Don't get any wrong ideas while you're out there." Raucous laughter erupted as both he and Annabeth blushed hotly.

"N-no, I wouldn't…" Percy stammered, much to the mirth of the crowd. A number of his half-siblings clapped him on the back and made ribald jests about sea-sprayed owls. Percy's face turned increasingly red, until Marina made the campers stop their teasing and allowed Percy and Annabeth to leave.

The Poseidon cabin waved at them as they walked away, shouting encouragements and jests. "Don't die!" Marina shouted after them, and Percy waved back in response.

Percy turned to Annabeth as they walked. Her face was still flushed, and she was very determinedly not looking at him.

"Why were you so hostile?" he asked. "They're my family."

Annabeth spared him a withering glare. "Not all of us get sent off with a party, Percy. It's my first quest, too." She scoffed. "And please, family? You met them yesterday."

"Yeah, but…" Percy sputtered into silence, not having a proper answer. He _had_ only known the Poseidon children for less than a day, but he already felt a connection with his half-siblings.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, eventually reaching a hill on the edge of camp where Grover and Chiron were waiting. They were talking about something, but stopped when they noticed Percy and Annabeth walk up. Percy noticed that that was a running theme here.

Chiron trotted up to him and clapped his hands together. "Good, you're all here. Now your quest can begin." He led them to a fence post where two horses were tied. "These will bring you into the city. After that, you're on your own."

Annabeth bowed deeply. "Thank you, Chiron."

Chiron gave her a warm smile. "Make me proud out there, Miss Chase."

"I'll try my best."

Chiron laid a hand on Percy's shoulder. "I know this is strange for you, but trust in your companions, and in yourself, as well. I see great potential in you, Mr. Jackson."

Percy nodded, not entirely sure of Chiron's prediction. "I hope you're right."

"So am I. For my sake as well as yours." Chiron turned to face Grover. "Mr. Underwood, I trust you to take care of your companions."

Grover straightened quickly. "I will, sir."

Chiron nodded, looking over the three of them. "Well, I'd say you all are ready to start your quest. May the gods look favorably upon you." With a final bow, he galloped off, kicking up dust in his wake.

 _They're the ones who got us into this mess in the first place_. Percy went up to one of the horses, a brown mare that sadly lacked wings.

"You're taking us to the city?" he asked, untying the horse from the post.

The horse shuffled her head, snorting. "Aye, I am, so ye better get on now so we can leave." She spoke with a Scottish accent, which made Percy wonder if that was how all horses talked. Despite never having ridden a horse before, he jumped into the saddle with surprising ease, taking the reins in his hands. Next to him, Annabeth was struggling to clamber onto an old gray palfrey as he shuffled anxiously beneath her. Eventually, they were both on their rides, leaving Grover standing beneath them.

"Are you riding with me?" Percy asked, looking down at Grover.

Grover shook his head resolutely. "I don't ride horses. It doesn't…feel right. I'll run alongside you."

Percy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "We can't go very fast if you're following on foot."

"You'd be surprised how fast I can run," Grover said. "Don't worry, I'll keep up."

Percy looked at him strangely, but decided not to press the issue. He looked at Annabeth, who was attaching her bag to a clip on her saddle. "Do you know where we're going?"

Annabeth nodded. "Roughly. Once we're in London I'll be able to figure it out from there."

"Good enough for me." Percy took the reins and led his horse to a canter as they left camp.

* * *

A couple of hours later, they were approaching the outer streets of London. Grover had kept impressive pace with them, jogging alongside the horses while barely breaking a sweat. Percy had let his horse, whose name was Sunshine, take most of the control over their course, allowing her to take the path she knew best. As they approached the city, the road became increasingly crowded with horses, carriages, and trade caravans filled with local goods. A troop of soldiers in red uniforms passed by, pushing their way through the traffic. The captain glared suspiciously at Percy, who suddenly felt as if he had done something wrong. With a huff, the man seemed to decide that Percy wasn't a threat, and moved forward in the procession.

As they entered the city, the traffic slowed significantly as the horses had to walk through the crowds of people on the road. Market stalls cluttered the street as vendors shouted their wares, one overenthusiastic baker nearly shoving a piece of bread in Percy's face. Street urchins prowled around, carefully stealing unattended goods when their owners weren't looking. One child wasn't so lucky, and got caught by an irate fruit vendor. The kid twisted out of the man's grip and took off, a large apple in hand. The man shouted after the boy, but the number of carriages blocked his path.

A troupe of actors were performing in front of a theater, advertising the play that was being produced inside. As Percy watched, one actor dressed as the king cut off the head of an American revolutionary, the "head" a ripe melon that hit the ground and exploded on impact. The revolutionary died in an extremely dramatic way for someone with no head, clawing at his throat and spinning around in circles as he gasped for air. The "king" raised his sword in victory, to the cheers of a number of children who were watching the performance.

Annabeth scoffed as people threw coins in a hat while the actors bowed, the headless American having miraculously recovered his splattered brains to form a smiling, freckled face.

"Do you not like plays?" Percy asked, noticing her distaste.

"It's not that," Annabeth said. "It's the subject matter."

Percy looked down to where the melon's contents had spilled onto the cobblestones. "Not a fan of blood?"

Annabeth glared at him. "I'm talking about the _message_ , idiot."

Percy shrugged. "I liked it."

"I'm not getting into this right now." With a flick of her reins, Annabeth moved forward, leaving Percy behind.

Grover walked next to Percy, having seen the exchange. "You sure have a way of making friends."

Percy sighed. "What's up with her?"

Grover looked at Annabeth's back as she rode away. "She's just a bit stressed, is all. This is her first quest, too. She really wants to prove herself. And right now, she probably sees you as a liability."

Percy rounded on him. "Is that how you think?"

"No! Just…" Grover stammered. "It's just that she's been at camp for years, and you…"

"Got here yesterday," Percy finished.

"Exactly."

Percy looked ahead of him, not processing the city as he passed. A liability…He couldn't deny that he was inexperienced, that was true, but it still irked him to be judged like that without a chance to prove himself.

He was so distracted by his sulking that he nearly walked his horse directly into Annabeth's, only stopping when Sunshine reared to stop herself from hitting the palfrey.

"Oi, what're you trying to do?" Sunshine chastised him angrily. Annabeth's horse let loose a string of curses as she turned him around, not noticing that Percy had almost bumped into her.

"This is the place," she said, pointing to an old building that they had stopped in front of. It appeared to be a large forge, with smoke rising from the chimneys and a large flame visible in the windows. A wooden sign depicting a snow-capped mountain hung from the doorway, along with the name of the forge.

" _Lemnian Smithing and Naval Supplies_ ," Annabeth read. "This is it."

Percy slid off of Sunshine, who was still miffed at his carelessness. She tried to hit him with her head as he moved around her, but he dodged out of the way just in time. He gave her a dirty look as he walked back.

"Do you know the way back to camp?" he asked.

Sunshine snorted. "I brought you here myself, didn't I? Aye, we can go back ourselves." Next to her, the palfrey stomped his hoof in agreement. Without another word, the pair of horses galloped down the street the way they came, nearly running over a man pushing a cart of cabbages.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover turned towards the building, feeling a noticeable increase in temperature now that they were closer. Percy hesitantly opened the door, and they walked into a large forge.

They were immediately assaulted by a wave of heat washing over them. The forge was a large open-air room, with several furnaces blazing at the end of the room. Various swords and metal tools hung on the walls, as well as heavy chains and anchors. Smoke hung lazily in the burn-marked ceiling.

In the center of the room, a broad-chested man was hammering a glowing piece of metal into a bayonet. He looked over sixty years old, but he swung his hammer with remarkable precision and strength. His white hair was slick with sweat from heat and exertion.

Next to him was a similarly broad-chested boy who was working on a set of chains, bending the metal with a hammer. His hair was jet black, and he had very similar features to the old man.

The men stopped when he noticed the three of them walking in. The older man straightened, dropping his hammer and wiping the sweat from his eyes. He looked over them suspiciously.

"What can I do ya for?" he asked, placing the blade into a trough of water with a spray of smoke. The water hissed and bubbled as the hot metal touched it, but the man didn't seem to mind.

Annabeth stepped forward. "Are you the Cabeiri?"

The two blacksmiths looked at each other. "We are," the old man answered gruffly. "Name's Axiocersus, though most people call me Ax. This here's my son Cadmilus."

"My name is Annabeth, and these are my companions Percy and Grover. We were sent by Athena," she explained. "It's about the Sword of Peleus."

Ax raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Athena, you said?" He lifted the bayonet and placed it on a cooling rack. He moved in front of them and cross his arms. "What's the matter with the sword?"

Now that he was directly in front of them, Percy noticed that Ax was a full head taller than him. "It was lost," he said. "We heard you were involved with its creation."

Ax nodded, remembering. "That we were. A fine sword, that was. Made by Hephaestus himself, we were just helping in the forge." Cadmilus seemed to remember too, nodding alongside his father. Ax motioned for them to follow him before starting deeper into the forge, picking up an unfinished anchor from the wall with one hand.

Cadmilus walked alongside with them. "The sword is really lost?"

Annabeth nodded gravely. "It was stolen from Athena's possession. We were sent to get it back."

Facing away from them, Ax gave a deep laugh. "Classic Olympians. Sending children to do their dirty work." He hefted the shaft of an anchor onto a surface next to a roaring flame, allowing the iron to heat.

"You know the sword better than almost anyone," Percy said to Cadmilus. "Do you have any idea who could have taken it, or where it is?"

Cadmilus shook his head. "I don't know. Just because we made the sword doesn't mean we know its location. And the sword was powerful; anyone with enough ambition would have wanted it for themselves. I can't think of a specific person who would have coveted it."

Ax turned away from the fire, clapping his hands together. "That's where you're wrong. Cad, fetch the box." With a start, Cadmilus ran off to the back room of the forge, letting the metal door slam behind him.

Annabeth approached the smith. "Do you know who could have taken the sword?"

Ax chuckled. "I don't know for sure, but I do know someone who would have a grudge against Peleus. Could be they've decided to take revenge on his sword."

"Really? Who?"

Ax pointed an admonishing finger at Annabeth. "You'll have to wait and see, girl. I can't just give out valuable information like that for free."

"You want us to pay you? We've got golden drachmas, enough for-"

Ax gave a hearty bark of laughter, interrupting Annabeth. "I'm a blacksmith, girl. I've got more than enough gold. No, I'm not selling it for metals. I need a job done." With a grunt, he lifted the glowing anchor onto an anvil and started to hammer the bottom onto the end.

"A job?" Percy asked.

"Remember what I said about Olympians asking children to do their dirty work?" Ax flashed him a grin. "Turns out I'm a hypocrite."


	10. Let the Games Begin

"What would you have us do?"

Ax examined the anchor ponderously, hammering various bits as he deemed fit. "Just a small task. Shan't take too much effort." Percy was becoming wary of the man's vagueness.

The back door flew open, and Cadmilus stepped into the forge holding a cast-iron box. He placed the box next to Ax, barely flinching as his father continued his work. His work done, Cadmilus went back to his chain across the room, keeping a wary eye on them. Ax stood up, wiping sweat from his brow. He flipped open the box and picked out a shard of pottery that had been burnt black.

Percy eyed the shard carefully. "What is that?"

"A set of porcelain I imported at great cost from the far East. Notice its beauty." He threw the piece back into the box in disgust. He jutted his head to a pile of wood that laid next to a furnace. "And there is my horse cart that helps me deliver my heavier pieces. See how finely it is crafted."

"I don't understand-"

"Someone's been breaking my stuff," Ax grumbled angrily. "I don't know how the bastard does it, but every day I wake up and something's smashed or burnt or cracked. I tried to stay in the forge to catch them, only to find my bedposts in pieces on the floor." He spat on the ground. "It's a bloody scourge, it is. And I'm tired of it."

Annabeth stepped forward. "Do you know who is doing this?"

Axe started to remove his large gloves. "It's the bloody Ceramici, no doubt. Bastards love this kind of stuff."

"The Ceramici?"

Ax threw his gloves next to the anchor. "Bunch o' _daemones_ that like breaking other people's things. They showed up a few weeks ago, and all of a sudden my porcelain ends up shattered and burnt." He lifted his hammer as if he'd like to hit someone with it.

"So you want us to go and…deal with them?"

Ax nodded. "Preferably with sword and shield, if you catch my meaning."

"Where would we find them?"

Ax waved his hand towards the back wall. "They hang out in the old lot down the road, usually. Bunch o' squatters, they are."

"And if we get rid of them, you'll tell us about Peleus' enemy."

He nodded. "I'm a man of me word. See if you can find anyone who says otherwise."

"I believe you," Annabeth said. "Thank you, Ax."

"What for? I haven't done anything for you yet. You're the ones on a job." He grinned. "I've decided I like you kids. Try not to get killed."

* * *

The home of the Ceramici turned out to be an abandoned potter's shop, the walls crumbling and charred in several places. In front of the building, piles of pottery shards littered the ground. Blast holes covered the building and floor, some still smoking. A statue of a man that had been placed in the courtyard was missing its head and both of its arms. and next to it was a pile of destroyed marble that had been reduced to a fine powder.

Percy eyed the front yard warily. He pressed the seashell hanging around his neck, bringing out his sword. Riptide, Chiron had said. He gripped Riptide tightly, glancing quickly around him.

"I don't like this place," he decided. "There's a strange…aura."

"I sense it too," Grover agreed. "It smells like burnt clay."

Annabeth fingered the dagger on her belt. "I'm guessing that's the Ceramici," she concluded.

The door to the pottery burst open, its top hinges broken so it leaned forwards dangerously. From the darkness of the shop came a short man holding a comically oversized hammer and the missing head of the statue. He was wearing what looked to be an expensive coat and a tricorn with a large feather sticking out of it. Behind him stepped a tall woman in a fine red dress, walking nonchalantly despite the fact that small fires were burning along her arms. The pair stopped when they saw the group standing in front of them.

"What's this, then?" the man with the hammer said. "What're you doing here?"

The fiery woman narrowed his eyes when she saw Percy's sword. "You seem well-armed. I hope you're not here to cause trouble."

The hammer man's face lit up suddenly. "Are you here for the competition?" he asked excitedly.

Percy glanced at Annabeth, taken aback. "Competition?" he asked.

The man nodded quickly. "The annual destruction competition. It my favorite time of the year." He gave a broad smile, then hefted the marble head in his hand. He threw the head in the air and grabbed the hammer with both hands, swinging it heavily as the head came back down. The head exploded in a shower of marble flakes and dust, peppering Percy's face and blinding him for a moment.

Percy was taken aback by the man's display. "...Yes," he said carefully. "We're here for the competition."

The man grinned widely. "That's great! No one's ever joined us before!" Next to him, the woman glared at them suspiciously. The short man stuck his hand out to Percy. "My name's Smaragos, though that's a mouthful. Most people call me Smash." He hefted his hammer to hold the head in his other hand. "And this is my friend, Char." The woman's fires burned slightly brighter as she gave Smash a dirty look.

"Don't give them our names," she snapped.

Smash waved his hammer dismissively. "They're our friends now," he chided. "We have to treat them with respect."

While they were talking, Annabeth whispered into Percy's ear. "What are you doing?"

"I think I have a plan," he whispered back. He faced Smash and tentatively shook his hand. "Well met, sir. It will be a pleasure to compete with you."

Smash puffed up his chest as he shook Percy's hand. "Sir, he says." He seemed inordinately proud of himself. "'Tis an honor to make your acquaintance." He gave a low bow, holding his hammer out to his side.

Above him, Char was not so easily swayed. "I don't believe I caught your names, friends." She said that last word as if she had a very different word in mind instead of "friends."

Percy drew himself up. "My name is…Slice," he said, indicating his sword. "These are my friends, um, Stab and Crunch." He gestured to Annabeth and Grover as he said this.

Char didn't seem convinced. "You are fellow _daemones_ , I take it?"

"Yes," Percy lied. "Just some regular demons, that's us." Next to him, Annabeth glared at him for a second then nodded, agreeing with his fabrication sullenly.

The fires on Char's shoulders turned bright red. "Then why is it that we've never seen you before?"

Percy was trying to come up with a response when another person walked from behind the building carrying a stack of large pots in his arms. The man dropped his goods in front of the store, not caring that a number of pots broke when they hit the ground. He was a lean man wearing a dirty and singed robe. In his hands was a lump of failed pottery that had melted into a rough ball. He tossed the ball in the air as he noticed the congregation in the front yard.

"What's happening here?" the man said, walking towards them. "Is the competition still on?"

"It is!" Smash exclaimed, raising his hammer. "And we've got new competitors!" He bowed again as the newcomer approached. "My new friends, allow me to introduce my fellow Ceramici, Crudebake. These fine _daemons_ are named Slice, Stab, and Crunch."

"Crudebake?" Percy asked.

"It's when pottery melts together in a furnace," the robed man explained. "That's my specialty." He stuck out the ball of pottery to him. After a few seconds, the clay turned a dull red and was slowly melting in Crudebake's hand, bubbling and crackling. With a grunt of satisfaction, he threw the ball in the air, letting it land on the ground with a solid _smack_.

"I see."

Smash turned to Crudebake. "Where's Shatter? The competition's about to start."

Crudebake looked up from the ball of pottery. "Oh, he's going to be late. He's going to the glassblower next to the square."

Smash let out a disappointed groan. "By himself? We were supposed to go together! Now he's going to hog all of the good glass!"

The taller man shrugged. "Sorry. I wasn't gonna stop him." He seemed very disinterested in the conversation.

Smash sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. We'll just start without him. Let's see how he likes it." He quickly turned to face Percy, clapping his hands together. "Well, friends, it looks like the competition is afoot! Welcome to the 3649th annual destruction games!" He beckoned them to follow him as he walked behind the pottery.

Annabeth fell in next to Percy as they walked. "What's the plan?" she whispered. "I thought we were just supposed to kill them. Now there's three of them."

"Did you see Smash with his hammer? We can't take them in a fight," Percy whispered back. "Just follow my lead."

"Oh, follow _your_ lead? When did you become the leader?"

"When your mom picked me against my will," he hissed.

"I didn't ask for this either," she replied angrily.

"What? Yes, you did!"

His voice attracted the attention of Char, who turned around to look at Percy and Annabeth. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problems," Annabeth responded, giving Percy one final glare before walking ahead.

Char snorted. "Trouble in Olympus," she muttered to herself as she turned around.

The group entered the back yard, where old pieces of pottery were strewn about in various states of disrepair. In one corner, however, the floor had been swept clean and a number of objects had been set up on tables under a large white banner. On one was a blue ceramic vase, on another a painting of a battle with a golden frame. Several statues were placed in rows along the edge, a stone audience.

Smash raised his hammer. "Char, would you care to do the honors?"

Char nodded, stepping forward. She clenched her fist, and when she opened it she was holding a glowing ball of fire in her hand. She wound her arm back and threw the ball at the banner, causing it to catch fire and burn. Scraps of fiery cloth fell around them as Smash turned around, grinning.

"Let the games begin!" He spun his hammer around dangerously, threatening to hit Percy in the face. Both Char and Crudebake clapped politely, and Percy joined in. "And I'd like to again thank our honored guests for joining us today."

Annabeth turned to Smash. "We are your guests, you say?"

"Of course! We are so glad to have you."

"So we have guest privileges in your…home?"

Smash's smile flickered slightly. "Yes, I would assume so. No harm will come to you while you are on our property."

 _Perfect_. Percy stepped forward. "Smash, sir. I would like to thank you for your hospitality." Smash readjusted his coat in pride. "If I may be so bold, however, I have an idea that I believe would improve your games. I would like to suggest a wager for the competition."

Annabeth sucked in a quiet breath as she realized what he was doing. "Yes, a wager!" she added. "Just something to make the games more interesting."

Smash rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose that _would_ be interesting," he mused. "Gambling does put an extra air of excitement to competitions."

"So you agree?"

The short man nodded. "I do."

"Do you swear by the River Styx to follow it?" Annabeth said. Percy looked at her strangely. _What river_?

Smash's eyes widened at Annabeth's words. "Do you not trust my honor?" Char was looking at Annabeth suspiciously.

"I do. It's just that I've been cheated in the past, and I've made it a point to ensure I have an oath by the River Styx."

Smash still looked suspicious, but nodded. "Fine. I swear by the River Styx that I will follow your wager."

Char rounded on him, eyes wide. "You idiot! Why would you agree to a deal before you know what it is?"

Smash seemed as surprised as she was. "I don't know! It's just, we don't get a lot of visitors, and my social skills…"

Char gave a loud, annoyed sigh. "And what would you have us wager?" she asked.

Percy knew his next words were dangerous. "If we win, the Ceramici have to leave this place. Forever."

An immediate reaction followed his statement. Smash raised his hand to his mouth in shock, gasping. Crudebake stopped examining a sparrow that was sitting on a fence to cast his gaze on Percy. Char's flames rose to a peak, causing Percy to wince slightly at the heat.

"I _knew_ it!" she said, pointing at him accusingly. "You're not _daemones_ at all, are you?"

Next to her, Smash looked as if he was about to cry. "You lied to me," he said plaintively. "I thought you came for the competition."

"We did!" Percy stammered. "I just thought, to make it interesting-"

"Liar!" Char stepped forward, radiating heat like a furnace. "I should burn you where you stand!"

"But you can't!" Annabeth called. "We have guest rights, remember?"

Char's eyes widened as she realized their error. "Damn!" she shouted, blasting a nearby potted plant. "We've been tricked!"

"It appears we have," Crudebake said, eyeing Percy angrily.

Percy raised his arms. "Do we have a deal, or not?"

"What, agree to your sham of a wager? Why would we ever do that?" Char's eyes blazed.

"Because you swore by the River Styx," Annabeth said. "You _have_ to agree."

Char threw her hands up in annoyance. "By the gods, you lot are insufferable!" She rubbed her temples in anger. "Fine. If you win, we have to leave. But, if _we_ win, we get to kill you all."

"I would expect nothing less." Annabeth stuck her hand out. Char took it and grabbed it tightly, smiling sweetly as smoke rose from their connected hands. Annabeth pulled her hand back quickly, gasping in pain. Her hand was an angry shade of red, and smoking.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Percy said.

Char smiled at him. "I didn't kill her, did I? Treachery breeds treachery, _demigod_." The fires on her arms burned a bright blue. "Let the games begin."


	11. Ashes

Smash stood in the center of the yard, arms raised. "The games will be a set of three challenges, one versus one. Each member of each team will go once. The first team with two wins will be declared the victor. Are these terms acceptable?" Percy nodded.

"Slice! As our _honored guest_." He nearly spat out the last words. "I would like for you to join Char for our first game."

"Of course." Percy walked next to Char as the other two Ceramici ran around, setting up the first challenge. The red woman wasn't looking at him, but she was giving off a large amount of heat and Percy stood a couple of feet away from her to stay cool.

"Because this is your first time, I've decided to start with a simple one." As Smash talked, he set two large logs in front of Percy and Char. "All you have to do is destroy this wooden log."

Char nodded and stepped forward, arm outstretched. As Percy watched, a ball of fire appeared in her open palm, crackling softly. With expert precision, Char threw the fire at the log, engulfing the wood in flames. Percy stepped back in surprise, covering his face from the heat. The fire was difficult to see in the daylight, but its presence was undeniable. Within a few moments, the wood had been reduced to a pile of smoking ash.

Percy's eyes were wide as Smash and Crudebake clapped politely. Char gave a low curtsy before stepping back, grinning slyly. "Your turn, demigod."

Percy drew his sword, swallowing. As he moved forward, Grover was shouting encouragements from behind him. Percy stopped in front of the log, wielding his sword as if he was facing an opponent. He glanced behind him, unsure of what to do. Annabeth was looking at him doubtfully while Grover was smiling widely. He hefted Riptide onto his shoulder, looking down at the log. With a grunt, he swung the sword down, embedding it deep into the wood. Splinters exploded from the point of impact, peppering his face with small cuts. Unfortunately, the sword only went in halfway, and was currently stuck. He pulled at the sword comically for a few seconds, falling over on his back when he eventually managed to get it free.

Crudebake burst out laughing at his fall, pointing. Char snickered as Percy stumbled to his feet, wobbling slightly. Smash approached him, tsking.

"I'm afraid you didn't quite make it," he said, pointing to the cut but very much intact piece of wood. "I'm going to have to give this round to Char." He clapped again as he grinned at Percy.

"That wasn't fair!" Percy complained. "She can make fire!"

Char shrugged. "It's not my fault I'm better than you."

"You lost fair and square, boy. I won't have any sore losers in my games." Smash looked at him sternly.

Percy protested quietly as he was pushed away from the center. Grover was looking at him anxiously while Annabeth was fuming silently. Her burned hand was wrapped in linen and she was holding it against her chest protectively.

"You see what you did?" she whispered. "They're never going to let us have a fair shot. All you've done is give them time to figure out how to kill us."

Percy tried to argue back but couldn't. She was right; this plan was folly from the beginning. "We haven't lost yet," he replied half-heartedly. She scoffed and looked away.

"Who is your next champion?" Smash asked, looking earnestly at them. Annabeth stepped forward, sighing. "I'll go."

Crudebake also stepped forward into the center as two jagged blocks of metal were placed in front of the competitors. The blocks appeared to be made of various assortments of iron swords, tool heads, anchors, and other melted down items.

"Same rules as last time, folks," Smash explained. "Simply destroy the blocks to the best of your abilities."

Crudebake snorted as he approached his block. He laid his hand on the metal, concentrating. Soon, the iron around his hand grew bright orange, melting underneath his touch. The hot metal hissed as it pooled over the dust on the ground. After a minute, the block was a bubbling puddle on the floor.

Annabeth watched Crudebake's performance, then looked at her own block. She took out her dagger and examined it for a second, sighing. "This is impossible," she declared flatly. "I give up."

Smash raised his arms beseechingly. "But, my dear, if you forfeit, your team loses."

"Then we lose. We lost when this competition began."

Smash shook his head. "Then I'm afraid I have no choice but to declare the Ceramici the winners." He lifted his hammer. "And so we get to kill you."

As he said this, the other two Ceramici ran at them, shouting. Percy barely managed to bring his sword up before Char bore down on him, swiping with a fiery arm. He leapt back in fear, eyes wide.

Char smiled at his retreat. "What's the matter, demigod? Your tricks aren't enough to save you?"

Percy glanced to his right, where Annabeth was fighting off Crudebake with long slashes of her dagger. To his left, Grover was nimbly avoiding Smash's sledgehammer by leaping out of the Ceramici's heavy attacks.

Char blasted a ball of fire next to Percy's face, putting his attention back on her. "It's not them you should be worried about." She stepped forward menacingly. "I distrusted you from the beginning, demigod. That trick with guest rights was clever, and the wager even more so. If my companions weren't so thick-headed, you wouldn't have gotten away with that, you know."

"Lucky for me, they were." Percy felt waves of heat washing over him as Char moved forward.

"You won't find me so easily persuaded." Char's head seemed to be engulfed in a ring of fire as she swiped the air in front of her.

Percy leapt forward, swinging his sword wildly into the woman's torso. Before Riptide connected, however, Char somehow managed to catch the sword in her hand, gripping it tightly. Bright red blood trickled down her arm as she held onto the blade, grimacing. In her hand, the bronze sword glowed and turned white-hot, sizzling as her blood touched the heated metal. Percy struggled to free Riptide from her grasp, eventually managing to wrench it out of her fist with a spray of blood. He held the sword away from him, wary of the heat radiating off of it. The blade was still glowing, and he could swear that it was drooping slightly as the bronze melted.

Char wiped her bloody hand on her dress. "Celestial bronze makes an effective blade, but it melts easily. How long will I need before your sword is a pool on the ground?"

Percy swallowed heavily, backing up. Char pressed her advantage, throwing another ball of fire at him. Percy managed to block the projectile with his sword, sending a spray of sparks flying. He winced as some of the sparks landed on his face, burning him slightly.

With a cry, Percy swung his sword again, aiming for Char's face. She raised her forearm to block the blow, the two colliding with the sound of metal striking metal. Percy gasped as he saw that Char's arm had gained harsh, red scales that rippled in the sunlight. The scales had blocked the brunt of Riptide's slash, but the sword was embedded an inch into her arm, and more blood was flowing out of the wound.

Char roared in anger as she pulled her arm back and clawed at Percy with her other hand. He felt searing heat erupt across his arm where she cut him, and Percy's eyes widened as when saw that his sleeve was currently on fire. He quickly beat out the flame, too focused on his arm to notice that Char had approached. She grabbed onto his wrist tightly and twisted, forcing him to let go of Riptide. The sword hit the dirt with a muffled _thud_.

Char was looking at him more closely than was comfortable, a look of rage contorting her features. In her grip, his wrist felt so hot it was almost cold, and he could see smoke rising from the point of contact. A terrible smell of cooked meat entered his nose as he gasped and tried to writhe out of her hand.

Percy weakly buffeted her back with his free hand, trying desperately to escape. His mouth moved wildly as he protested, but no sound came out.

"Where are your tricks now?" she hissed. "What will you say that will keep your hand from burning off?"

Percy let out a low moan, nearly passing out from the pain. His blows became slower and weaker until he let his other hand drop to his side. He dropped to his knees, sweat running down his face. His arm felt as if he was sticking it in a bucket of ice water, but that didn't make sense. He was supposed to be feeling hot, not cold.

He raised his eyes to look at Char, who was still holding his wrist in a death grip and was smiling down at him with satisfaction. She was still smiling when Annabeth came in from nowhere and stabbed her deep in the stomach.

Char's eyes widened as she realized what had happened, but before she could react, Annabeth slashed her dagger through the woman's torso as she pulled it out of her stomach, ripping a jagged wound through her. Percy felt the grip on his wrist weaken as Char died, her fires flickering as she stumbled backwards.

"You…ruined _everything_ ," she spat, grabbing her stomach. The fires on her arms, which had been burning low, now grew to engulf her entirely as she bent over in pain. The massive blaze blew up dust and leaves with its updraft and caused Percy to shield his face with his good arm. In the center of the inferno, Char was crouched on one knee, blood coursing from her wound. As she looked blankly forward, her body disintegrated into red ash, mingling with the flame. Soon after, the fire went out as quickly as it began, and Char rained down on the area softly.

Percy let out a long breath as he let himself fall to the ground completely. His right hand was in agony, and he prayed that the arm would come off. As he looked up from the floor, Grover's concerned face filled his vision. Annabeth had placed her bag next to him and was rummaging through it quickly. She pulled out something covered in cloth and wrapped with string. Instead of untying the knot, Annabeth cut through the string with her dagger, opening the cloth to reveal a pale yellow mass of some kind of food. She started to cut a piece off of it, then looked back at his arm and decided to cut off a larger part before lifting his head and feeding it to him. He quietly protested at being moved, but accepted the food meekly. It tasted like the tea that he used to drink with his mother, though the same flavor on solid food felt strange on his tongue.

As soon as he swallowed the food, he felt a surge of energy through his body, and the pain in his arm subsided slightly.

"What was that?" he asked as Annabeth went back to her bag.

"Ambrosia," Grover explained. "The food of the gods. It heals demigods."

Percy nodded. "Of course."

As he realized that maybe he wasn't going to die, Annabeth pulled out an pot of ointment from her bag and carefully applied it to his burns. Percy gasped as the pain flared up again, and a faint crinkling sound came from his arm as she rubbed his wrist.

Percy let out a pained laugh as he let his head hit the ground. "God, I'm _crispy_." He laughed deliriously, shaking his head.

After she had applied the ointment, Annabeth began wrapping linen around his arm, making sure that his wound had space to breathe. Once she was done with that, she grabbed his good hand to slowly bring Percy to his feet. A wave of nausea hit Percy once he stood up, but he was able to support himself against Grover's shoulder and hobble along.

The remnants of his companions' fights were apparent; Smash's hammer laid on top of a pile of foul-smelling dust among a number of shattered pots and branches sticking out of the ground. Bubbling pieces of clay littered the ground a few paces away where Annabeth and Crudebake had fought, their smell sharp in Percy's nose.

As the three of them limped away from the back yard, a tall man wielding an iron crowbar stepped from around the pottery. He was covered in shards of glass and seemed very proud of himself. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the demigods, and he looked in shock from them to the battle scenes behind them.

"What happened here?" he demanded.

"Are you Shatter?" Annabeth called back at him.

He looked at her with confusion. "...Yes, I am."

With a sigh, Annabeth stepped forward and approached the man, who was still spluttering as she drove her dagger through his heart. He dissolved into a pile of dust at her feet.

Annabeth wiped the monster dust off of her dagger on her pants, then let Percy and Grover follow her as they left the pottery. As they approached Ax's forge, the sun was just beginning to set, the horizon tinged with orange. Vendors were shouting the last deals of the day while preparing to close up, and patrols of soldiers began walking down the streets, peering down dark alleys suspiciously.

Cast iron braziers had been lit in front of the forge, blazing hotly as Annabeth pushed the door opened and stepped into the building.

Ax was hammering a heated piece of metal as they walked in, standing dangerously close to a blazing forge seemingly without a care. Annabeth had to yell Ax's name several times before he looked up from his work. When he saw who it was, he grinned broadly.

"You're back, are you? I'm glad. Does this mean you've taken care of my problem?"

Annabeth nodded. "The Ceramici have been…removed, as per our agreement."

"Good! You've done me a great service, and at cost to yourselves, I see." He pointed at Percy, who was sweating profusely and practically hanging off of Grover.

"No, I'm…I'm fine," Percy mumbled to the floor.

Ax grinned. "'Course you are, kid." He focused his attention back on Annabeth. "Anyway, I promised you information. Here." He reached into his apron, brought out a singed piece of parchment, and handed it to Annabeth. "I can't guarantee that she knows anything about the sword, but she definitely has a history with the guy."

Annabeth unfolded the paper and read it, frowning. When she finished, her face was flushed and she was standing uncomfortably straight.

"Who is it?" asked Grover.

"Aphrodite," she said in a careful voice.

Ax gave a loud guffaw of laughter. "You're welcome, boys. Shame that this one's," he pointed at Percy's condition. "Like that."

Percy stirred slightly. "What?"

"Nothing." Ax laughed again. "You can ask her about the sword, and if she's in a kind mood she'll probably help you with your hand. No promises, though."

Annabeth put the paper in her pocket. "Thank you, Ax. I'll tell Athena how much you helped us."

Ax scoffed. "Yeah, and I'm sure she'll shower me with praise and glory. Goddesses like that don't do well with 'gratitude,' little one. Best learn that now."

Annabeth gave him a strange look, but didn't say anything. "Well, thank you again. I think we'll be on our way now."

"Aye, and good luck to you." Ax picked up his hammer again. "You'll need it."


	12. All According to Plan

After leaving the heat of Ax's forge, the chill of the London air seemed especially biting as they made their way down the road. Nighttime had fully established itself by this point; the streets were dim and gloomy, with flickering shadows moving in the windows of candle-lit rooms. Annabeth had lit a lantern and was holding it out in front of them, lighting up a few square feet in front of them as they avoided puddles and holes in the road. Percy had eaten another piece of ambrosia, under risk of random combustion, Annabeth had warned him sternly. The strange medicine had made him much more clear-headed and capable, though his arm still ached abominably and he could swear that he felt a thrumming underneath his skin that could not have boded well for his desire to remain thoroughly uncombusted.

Though night had fallen, the streets were still active as people rushed to get home or attend other, less savory activities. One man stumbled out of a tavern, waving his tankard in the air before falling unconscious right at Percy's feet, snoring loudly. As Percy stepped over the man carefully, a pair of watchmen turned the corner and walked towards them. After looking suspiciously at the three of them walking alone at night, they picked the man up and hauled him off to the jailhouse, still snoring.

Through the windows of a coffeehouse Percy saw a heated argument between two men in maladjusted wigs, their words muffled by the thick panes of glass. Though they never laid hands on each other, their debate was accentuated with wild hand gestures and pointing, one man pounding his cup on the table so hard that his drink splashed all over his sleeve.

They made their way through a slightly shadier part of the city, where he was sure thieves would be happy to attack three young people alone, especially when one of them had a currently inoperable hand. Darkened figures glared at them as they passed, remaining just outside the light of the lantern.

Just as Percy was silently debating whether it would be worse if they were attacked by monsters or a group of street thugs, they arrived at a garishly-decorated building that stood out brightly from the dull-colored street. The walls were festooned with golden frills and curls, shimmering from the light of rows of lit lanterns along the walkway. Two statues of women flanked the heavy double doors, water spewing from their mouths into a small fountain below. From inside, Percy could hear the sound of laughter and violins playing.

The three of them looked at each other uneasily.

"This is the place?" Grover asked.

Annabeth nodded. "This is where Aphrodite should be. With any luck, we should be out of here quickly."

"Why do I feel unlucky?" Percy muttered as they walked up the steps to the front door.

On the door was an ornate bronze knocker in the shape of a dolphin. Percy pointed this out as Annabeth used it to knock on the door.

"A dolphin. Maybe she's friends with Poseidon."

"The dolphin is Aphrodite's symbol," Annabeth explained. "I don't think it counts as liking Poseidon."

Annabeth was about to knock again when a plank from the left door slid open, revealing a pair of brown eyes looking at them suspiciously.

"What do you want?" a feminine voice asked from behind the door.

"We're here to see Aphrodite," Annabeth replied. "Axiocersus sent us."

The woman's eyes narrowed, but she stepped back and Percy heard the sound of a heavy lock opening. The door silently swung open, washing them in warm light.

The woman behind the door was glaring at them, arms crossed. She was wearing a gleaming chestplate over a pale blue hoop skirt, making her look like the world's most fashionable knight. Her eyes softened as she looked over them, eventually landing on Percy's bandaged arm.

"You wanted to see the Lady, you said?"

"We have some questions about the Sword of Peleus. We were told she had some information about it."

"Peleus." The woman made a sour face. "That was a bad job." She glanced behind her, as if checking that the coast was clear. "Alright, I'll bring you to my Lady. Follow me." She pushed the door open all of the way, allowing the three of them to step cautiously into the building.

As their eyes adjusted to the light, Percy and Grover both gasped, faces blanching. Annabeth's eyes widened as she took in the scene. "Of course," she muttered.

The room they had stepped into was warm and lush, velvet lining every piece of furniture. Roaring fireplaces lined the walls, with expensive couches and chairs set up in semicircles around the flames. Pastries and cups of tea had been set out on tables, along with tall glasses of wine. In the corner, a quarter of violins were playing a rowdy tune, just loud enough to not disturb the patrons.

It was a brothel. Women wearing far too little than was decent walked around, talking casually with their male customers. One couple was…doing their own thing in the corner, causing Percy to blush even further. A thick fog of tobacco smoke lingered above their heads, making him feel light-headed.

The armored woman chuckled at their discomfort. "Welcome to the temple of Aphrodite, kids."

"This isn't a temple!" Percy protested. "T-this is-"

"Why not?" she questioned. "Aphrodite is the goddess of love. It's only fitting that this is how we honor her."

Percy seriously doubted that the men he saw were there because of their piety, but he remained silent.

The armored woman led the way through the brothel, chatting amiably with patrons and the girls on duty. Percy followed, determinedly looking directly ahead of him.

"Lauren!"

A tall woman in a thin red dress walked up to them, grinning widely. The armored woman smiled back, stopping in the middle of the room.

"Elizabeth. I thought you were on shift for another hour."

"It's pretty quiet tonight, so Rachel let me off for the rest of the night." Elizabeth's gaze fell on Percy, who was still trying to look stoically ahead of him. "What's going on?"

Lauren pointed behind her. "They want to see the Lady."

Elizabeth's eyes widened and she let out a sly giggle. "All three of them? I didn't know she took-"

"They're on a quest."

"Oh." Elizabeth nodded, understanding. "Demigods. Well, best of luck to you!" She gave them a dazzling smile. "And if you come back with the story of how you saved the world, I'll be sure to give you the heroes' discount." With a final wave, she started to leave the room, maneuvering through furniture and people who were otherwise preoccupied to move out of the way.

Once Elizabeth had left, Lauren continued to lead them through the brothel, ducking through heavy curtains to reach the back rooms, where even fancier furniture sat and expensive tapestries hung from the wall. Behind a closed door, Percy heard muffled thumping, as if someone was hammering a nail into wood. He didn't know it was possible, but he managed to blush harder than he was already.

The smell of tobacco was stronger in the more confined space, giving Percy a heady feeling. Revelers in private compartments glared at them as they passed, one man standing up and quickly pulling a curtain over the entrance, a look of shame on his face.

They reached an ornate set of oak doors at the end of the hall, engraved with splashing dolphins and scallop shells. Lauren approached the doors and rapped smartly on them. A few moments later, an airy voice from inside bid them enter. Lauren pushed open the heavy doors and led them into the audience chamber.

Aphrodite's private room was awash with red cloth draped from the ceiling and walls, framing the front of the room as if it were a stage. Cushions littered the floor, fringed with gold trimming. On the wall was a large painting of a naked woman standing on top of a seashell. Attendants in barely any clothing walked around, picking up plates and looking shyly in their direction. One woman was brushing Aphrodite's hair with an expensive ivory brush.

Aphrodite herself was relaxing casually on the front dias of the room, which looked more like an enormous bed with dark blue blankets and pillows. Her elegant gown seemed to ripple as she sat up, examining them closely.

Percy had never seen someone as beautiful as Aphrodite. Long blonde hair framed her face, practically glowing in the candlelight. A warm smile graced her lips as she cast her gaze between them. Every time she looked at Percy, his knees felt weak.

"Visitors," she said softly. "A boy and girl demigod, with a satyr chaperone. I can definitely work with this."

Annabeth curtseyed, bowing her head. "My lady, we were sent here by Ax-"

Aphrodite cut her off, stepping off of the bed and approaching Annabeth. She ran Annabeth's hair through her fingers, nodding approvingly.

"Very nice. I can tell you take good care of yourself." She placed her hands on Annabeth's shoulders. "Those gray eyes, you're one of Athena's, aren't you? They're unique, but I'm afraid gray is a rather dull color. Well, I suppose that can't be helped. I'd say light colors would suit you best, though I think yellow would be a bit much. Stop standing so straight: you look like you're hiding a sword down your shirt. You aren't, are you?"

Not bothering for a reply, Aphrodite moved onto Percy, twisting his head to the side to examine him. "Ooh, bright green eyes. That's lovely. Your hair's a mess, though, and you reek of fish. A Poseidon boy." She looked between him and Annabeth, a hand over her mouth. "Oh, I absolutely _love_ it. You've a whole Romeo and Juliet situation, that's precious."

"Who?" Percy asked, thoroughly confused.

"Clean you up, put you in a nice dark coat, you'd look positively _dashing_." She raised his burned arm, running a hand across the bandages. "This is bad," she said, tsking. "There'll probably be scars, and not the handsome kind, either. You're lucky children of Poseidon are resistant to fire, or you would've lost the hand. There's nothing for it: We'll just have to give you gloves." She pointed to his necklace. "And you already have thematic accessories. Not too obvious, either; that's perfect. I'm thinking maybe a pearl ring, or…no, that's too much."

"No, this is my swo-" Percy started, but Aphrodite was already examining Grover.

"We can still spruce you up a bit. Who knows, maybe you'll be next? Well, _I_ know, of course. But telling you is no fun." She wagged her finger at him as if he had suggested it. "Or we could do a whole betrayal sequence later, now _that_ would be interesting. You know, I've always wondered, with the whole bottom-half thing, do you have…never mind. Obviously, you'd do best in earth tones. Maybe a green cloak, make you look more intimidating. You've got to keep these two in check, after all." She giggled. "Have you thought of artificial horns? At least until your real ones grow out fully."

 _Horns_? "My lady." Annabeth broke into Aphrodite's rambling. "We're here for your assistance on a quest."

"And that's what I'm giving you right now," Aphrodite replied, parsing through Grover's thick hair. "I do hope you've been paying attention."

"It's about the Sword of Peleus."

Aphrodite suddenly stopped, pouting. "Now why would you ruin my mood by mentioning that name?"

"Please, my lady. It's important."

" _Important_? What could be so _important_ that you would risk angering a goddess?"

Annabeth hesitated. "The sword…it's missing, my lady."

Aphrodite looked at her blankly. "And why should I care?"

"Because it's a powerful magical item, and for it to just be _gone_ is-"

Aphrodite waved for her to be silent. "No, it's important because Athena lost her precious toy. She put you up to this, didn't she? This is just like her."

"My lady-"

"Don't you _my lady_ me after you rudely ignore my fashion advice and come prowling around for that bastard's sewing needle."

Though not directed at him, the word "bastard" still angered Percy. "Can I ask why you dislike Peleus so much?"

Aphrodite sighed, visibly trying to calm herself down. "It was at his wedding." As she spoke, one of her attendants pulled out a cushioned chair and she sat down with resigned grace. "His and that b- sea goddess, Thetis. Zeus forced us all to go, though he was ogling her throughout the entire ceremony. And then Eris shows up just to make a mess of things. And then she wonders why we don't invite her to parties!"

"Eris?"

"The goddess of discord. Must you interrupt me while I'm telling my story that you asked for?"

"Sorry."

"So Eris, that absolute _hag_ , is miffed because she wasn't invited, even though _no one_ likes her and she always ruins _everything_. She brought a prize: a golden apple labeled "To the Fairest." Naturally, I claimed it, but then Hera and Athena had the sheer _gall_ to suggest that they were more beautiful than me. Me! We had to have a whole competition about it!"

"Forgive me," Annabeth interjected. "But didn't you win the competition?"

"Only after having to bribe Paris with the most beautiful mortal in the world! The fact that there was a debate at all is an affront that I _cannot_ abide! And Peleus didn't even have the courage to keep control over his own wedding! He just let it happen, not even offering to be the judge."

As she ranted, one of her attendants approached with a swatch of silk, dabbing her forehead carefully before spraying a flowery perfume over the goddess. Aphrodite sat with her hand on her forehead, the very picture of grief.

"I honestly think I've become less confident because of that disaster. Beauty is my…purpose, my whole sense of _being_. To have those two say that they were better than me, I…" She stopped, fanning herself. Her eyes watered beautifully, and a single tear slid down her face. Percy's heart ached to see her like this. He felt illogically angry with himself for causing her such sadness.

"But about the sword-" Annabeth interjected.

"I don't give a damn about any sword!" Aphrodite snapped. Percy looked at Annabeth, shocked that she would disturb Aphrodite in her moment of weakness. She glared at Annabeth angrily. "I just bared my soul out for you all, and you insist on prattling on about the sword. Athena's always been tactless, but I didn't know her children suffered the same affliction."

"You have my sympathies, my lady, but we didn't come here to hear your grievances with Peleus," Annabeth said slightly harshly. "Do you know anything about the sword, or not?"

Aphrodite leaned back in her chair. "I don't like the tone of your voice," she decided. She gestured for her servants to come closer. For a second, her eyes flashed bright pink. "Seize them."


	13. Some Polite Conversation

Aphrodite's jail cell was surprisingly comfortable, a large room with a roaring fireplace and comfy furniture. A large feather bed was placed on the back wall, and a bookshelf full of leather-bound volumes was available to occupy his time. If not for the lack of windows and the locked iron door, Percy wouldn't have known that he was a prisoner.

He had been escorted to the room by Aphrodite's attendants. Percy was unable to say why he had let himself be led peacefully away, watching calmly as they took Grover and Annabeth further into the building, kicking and screaming. His best guess was that Aphrodite has placed some sort of spell over him, though he still felt terrible for abandoning his friends.

Percy pulled off his seashell necklace, intending to fight his way out. When he pressed it, however, the silver trinket remained as it was, refusing to turn into his sword. He pressed it again, harder, but still nothing happened.

"Of course," he muttered, putting Riptide back around his neck. "Because why would you work when I need you?"

In desperation, he slammed on the door to the cell, hollering for someone to let him out. After a few minutes, the door unlocked and swung open quickly, nearly smacking him in the face. As he stepped back, a pale brown-haired girl around his age walked into the room, holding a large bag.

"What's going on in here?" she asked, setting her bag on the table. The door locked behind her with a _click_.

"I demand to be released from here," he replied indignantly. "I need to talk to Aphrodite-"

"You already talked to Aphrodite," the girl reminded him as she rifled through her bag. "And she put you in here."

"How long are you going to keep me in here? Where are my friends?"

The girl sighed and faced him, pulling a strand of hair from her face. "Aphrodite has asked us to keep you for the night while she calms down. You'll be given another audience tomorrow to make your case. The satyr's down the hall; he's fine. As for your girlfriend, she's in the lower dungeons for disrespecting Aphrodite." She smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, no harm will come to her pretty little head. Unless, of course, you do something stupid between now and tomorrow. But I can tell you're a smart boy, you wouldn't do that." She beckoned for him to come closer. "Now come here, your bandages need changing."

She pulled out a roll of bandaging as Percy cautiously approached her, fearful to expose his weak spot. She carefully took his arm in her hands and examined it, nodding to herself.

"This is well done," she said approvingly. "Your girlfriend's good."

"Her name's Annabeth, and she's not-"

"Your girlfriend, I know. It's called joking, you ever hear of it?" As she spoke, she carefully unwrapped Percy's arm, causing him to grab the table in pain. A foul smell rose from his wound, but he couldn't bring himself to look at it. The girl cleaned the wound with a damp cloth before applying a burn ointment.

"So what happened?" she asked as she worked.

"What happened?"

She shot him a dirty look. "Your hand, idiot."

"Oh. Fire demon." Percy was surprised how nonchalantly he was able to say that.

She gave a low whistle. "Impressive. You killed it?"

Percy winced as she pressed slightly too hard on his arm. "N-not really. It was Annabeth who finished it off."

"Ooh, girlie's got a bad side. I would've liked to see that."

"She was…impressive."

She grinned at him wickedly. "You lot are on a quest for a sword, but it seems to me you're more interested in finding a sheath."

It took Percy a second to understand, but he turned red as he realized what she meant, stammering.

She laughed as she saw him flush. "For such a strapping hero, you act like a blushing maid, Percy Jackson."

"You know my name."

"And you never asked mine." She started to wrap the new bandaging around his arm.

"Apologies. My mind's been…" He gritted his teeth in pain. "Preoccupied of late. May I have your name?"

"Have it? I'm afraid we don't know each other quite well enough for _that_."

"You know what I meant."

She smiled. "Grace, if it pleases my good sir," she said with mock courtesy.

"And what are you doing in a place such as this?"

"In a brothel, you mean? Why, are you worried you've been having polite conversation with a whore?"

"I wouldn't call this conversation polite."

"Good, I find impolite conversation much more rewarding. People tend to hide their true feelings behind a veil of courtesy." Grace nodded at her own sage advice. "To answer your question, I'm a priestess of Aphrodite, though the differences between myself and a whore are unfortunately few, I'm afraid."

"How did that come about?"

"I suppose it was my love of theology and divine reverence that led me to Aphrodite," she said mockingly. "That and she pays well."

"What is she like?"

She shrugged. "You saw her earlier. She's vain at best, and frantic at worst. But she takes care of her own, that's for sure. I've never wanted under her care." She looked up at him, grinning. "And what about you, good sir? What _really_ brings you to these hallowed halls? I've found that most men who enter Aphrodite's temple have their swords ready at hand."

"We were told that Aphrodite had some information-"

"Oh, I'm sure that she knows a lot of things that you would be very interested in. But why do you care about this sword enough to risk your hand?"

Percy sighed. "I don't, not really. I was chosen for this quest by my father, who I haven't seen since I was a baby. The first time he's taken any notice of me in years is to force me into some ridiculous quest. And I'm trying, I really am, but I have absolutely no training. My only plan backfired almost immediately, I'm pretty sure Annabeth hates me already-"

"Then what a loss for her," Grace interjected. "I find your company quite palatable."

"It's just, I _finally_ found a family—not that my mother isn't family, but now I have…" he trailed off, not knowing how to describe it.

"A place to belong," she finished for him sadly.

"Exactly. I _felt_ something there, with my half-siblings. We had a connection, and then I was…stolen, almost, by Athena and my father."

Grace looked at him with pensive eyes. "My family gave me away," she said quietly. She looked surprised with herself, but she continued. "They wed me to some man, didn't even bother to tell me until the day of the wedding. My _family_." Her voice broke slightly as she said this.

"What did you do?"

"I ran away," she said simply. "It's easier than you might think, when no one cares about you. Ran away to live my own life. Of course, my own life led me to a whorehouse, so I'm still waiting to see how it turns out." She looked down, looking as if she might start crying.

Percy gently laid his good hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "I'm sorry to hear that. You deserve better."

She gave him a sad smile. "I deserve you, you mean?"

"No, I meant-"

"I know what you meant, and it was sweet." She took in a shuddering breath. "But look at us, talking about our lives like old biddies when we hardly know each other." She looked at him kindly. "You're an easy man to talk to, Percy Jackson. You've a very…submissive air about you."

"Hey!"

She giggled. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

Grace finished wrapping his wound, examining her work with pride. "Done. That should hold for a while. Hopefully there'll be minimal scarring; I would hate to see your pretty skin ruined." She didn't give any indication of the moment that they had shared.

Percy stretched his fingers, feeling the blood return. "Where did you learn how to do this?"

"My brother was always into medicine. I used to let him practice operating on me; to this day, I can't even look at a leech. But he taught me the basics, and I've become the unofficial doctor for the girls here."

"You are full of surprises, Miss Grace."

"Well, I do try." She pushed his arm towards him. "Move your hand around, see how it feels."

He did so, examining the wrapping. "This is great. Thank you."

Grace nodded as she put her things back in her bag. "Glad to help. I hope you don't throw away my hard work when you talk to Aphrodite tomorrow. It's harder to patch up a sword through the heart."

"I don't intend to be killed tomorrow."

"Few people do, yet thousands die each day. I guess we'll see if you'll be among them." Grace clasped up the bag tightly before turning to face him. "You know, when I walked in, I couldn't help but notice that big bed in the corner," she said in a breathy voice. She stepped towards him, smirking suggestively. "How do you feel about breaking it in?" She laid a hand on his chest, looking directly into his eyes.

Percy's eyes widened as he blushed furiously. "Um…" he mumbled, extremely flustered. He took an awkward step back, nearly falling over.

She burst out laughing at his reaction. "Oh, you are too _easy_. The look on your face!" She went into another fit of laughter. "Terrified of scary old Grace, threatening you with a good time."

Percy let out a relieved sigh. "You shouldn't do that to people," he complained mildly, his face still beet red.

"Why not? That was the funniest thing I've seen in years!" She put a hand on his shoulder. "No, Percy Jackson, I'm not going to bed you, much to the disappointment of both of us, I'm sure." She smirked. "I'll leave that honor to Annabeth."

Percy shrugged out of her grasp. "This…teasing is unbecoming of you."

"And what would you prefer me to become, my good sir? What do _you_ want most of all?" She fixed him with a piercing gaze. Percy felt a strange shift in the air as she looked at him, as if someone had opened a window from the end of a long room.

He blinked, mildly uneasy. "Most of all? I want…to go home." He didn't know if he was talking about his house near the docks or Camp Half-Blood, but he felt that he was right either way.

"I believe you," she said softly, as if she couldn't understand why she did. She examined his face closely, searching for something. "You're a good person, Percy Jackson. It's a shame I can't keep you for myself."

"Thank you?" Percy replied awkwardly.

"You're welcome," she said, giving him a strange look. She stepped forward, closer than was comfortable, looking deep into his eyes.

"You remind me of someone," she said quietly. "Someone I loved long ago." Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed haltingly.

Percy looked back at her, very confused as to what was happening. Grace grabbed his good hand, pulling him closer until their noses were practically touching.

"Run away with me," she said breathlessly. "Far from this place, from the gods. You want to go home, but they'll never let you leave. Come with me, and we'll defy all of them. We'll…we'll sail to the colonies, to the East, wherever we want to go. _I'll_ be your home." She was looking at him very intensely.

Percy looked at Grace with surprise. "What? W-Where is this coming from?"

"You're trapped. I know the gods; once you fall in with them, they'll keep using you until they get bored of you or you die. Why risk your life for _them_?" She took his hands in hers. "I'm trapped here, too. This place—I wasn't meant to be here. Don't you see, this is the chance for both of us."

"But Athena, my father-"

"The gods have no power outside of Europe. Once we're out, they can't do anything to us ever again. Aphrodite would smuggle us out; she loves this kind of stuff, she'd definitely help us." She squeezed his hand slightly. "We could be _free_ , Percy. Free from everything. You think Athena would reward you if you somehow got the sword back? Even assuming you don't die getting it, she's as like to kill you to keep its existence a secret. There's nothing for you here. There's nothing for _me_ here, either."

Percy gaped at her, unsure what to say. "B-but my friends-"

"What friends? Annabeth hates you, you said so yourself. And the satyr's alright, but he can't give you what you want. They'll be fine, I promise you. Aphrodite is prickly, but she's fair. She'll let them go with no problems. Worst thing that happens, they have to admit defeat and go back to camp. We'd be halfway to the New World by then." She gave a breathless laugh and caressed his cheek. "Think of it, a _new world_. A new beginning. We could have a cottage by the ocean, just the two of us. Away from the city, from the monsters."

"My mother-" Percy felt his objections growing more and more weak.

"Once we're established, we can send for her. Percy, what are you waiting for? We could be on a ship tonight. We could be gone before anyone even notices."

"It's just that this is a _big_ thing you're asking me to do."

"Running halfway across the world is a big thing to ask? I'm glad you told me, I was thinking it would be easy." She smirked. "If it makes you feel any better, just imagine us on the ship…alone…in the dark…" She ran a hand up his arm.

"Alright, I'm going to stop you right there," Percy said quickly.

Grace pouted jokingly. "We're going to have to break you of your morals eventually, my good sir. They get in the way too often." A wicked gleam went into her eye. "Why don't we start right now?"

Before Percy could even guess at what she was implying, Grace grabbed onto his shoulders and jumped into his arms, forcing him to carry her as he stumbled backwards, shouting. Percy ran around the room backwards for a while, struggling to gain his balance as Grace laughed above him, holding onto his neck. She didn't weigh that much, but his injured arm prevented him from establishing a solid grip, and for a while he was afraid that he'd drop her. Eventually, he lost his footing altogether and they fell down, him shouting in fear and Grace shrieking with laughter. He landed painfully on his tailbone, groaning. Above him, Grace's brown hair obscured his vision as she laughed loudly on top of him, still holding onto his neck. Once Percy got over the initial shock and pain, he let out a small chuckle, growing into a full laugh until both of them were holding onto each other, breathless with laughter.

It took a while for them to settle down, as every time they quieted and looked at each other, they started laughing again, wild in their mirth. Once they had calmed down for good, Percy turned his head to look at Grace, whose face was very close to his. Her face was red as she looked down at him, idly playing with his hair. A small smile graced her lips.

"There. I do believe we've started to break through that shell of yours."

Percy smiled back, letting his head hit the floor. "I think you might have."

"But." She propped herself on her elbows over him, her breath warm on his face. "We've time enough for that. Once we leave, we'll have all the time in the world." She ran a hand through his hair.

Percy sighed. "I never agreed t-"

She kissed him.

It wasn't a long kiss, but to Percy it felt like hours. As their lips connected, he opened and closed his hands, unsure of what to do. When they finally pulled away, she was looking at him tenderly.

"I know we've just met," she said calmly. "But I've been in this godsforsaken city for too long, laying on my back for complete strangers. And I already feel a connection, don't you? We were made for each other." She caressed his cheek tenderly.

Percy took a deep breath, looking at her expectant face. "I…I can't," he said, though it wrenched his heart. The image of his mother, alone with Gabriel with a broken arm, flashed through his mind. "I can't just abandon my friends, my family. They need me-"

" _I_ need you! You're willing to abandon me?" She looked crestfallen.

He took her by her shoulders softly. "Listen to me. I want to go with you, I really do."

"Then why don't you?"

"I just told you, I _can't_ -"

"You _can_ , you just don't want to!" She pushed off of him, rising to her feet angrily. "You can refuse me, Percy Jackson, but don't you _dare_ lie to me. Don't pretend like this isn't your choice, like you aren't giving me away like they did."

Percy stood up to face her. "I'm not _giving you_ to anyone-"

"You are leaving me here, alone! You're giving me to any damn stranger that walks in here. _You_ are."

He gaped at her, trying to form a response. "I-I have to-"

"You're a fool," she spat. Somehow, her tone hurt more than if she had hit him. "As am I, for trusting you." She gave him a disgusted look. "I hope your _friends_ are worth it." She picked her bag up from the table, specifically not meeting his gaze.

"Grace-" he started, but she brushed past him, knocking him back slightly. He could see tears running down her face. She walked brusquely to the door, stopping in front of it and placing a hand on the metal. She looked back at him, eyes pleading. When he shook his head sadly, she gave him the dirtiest look he had ever seen before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her. The sound of ringing iron hung in the air for a few seconds as Percy stood there, alone. Though the fire was still blazing, the room felt colder once Grace had left.

Slowly, Percy sat down in the cushioned chair in front of the fire. He stared into the flames for what must have been hours, trying to shake the feeling that he had made a terrible decision. The sound of Grace's pleading was stuck in his ears as the fire burned low, its fuel running out. Eventually, he fell asleep in a darkened room, dreaming of a cottage by the sea.


	14. Lost Future

Percy woke up with a start, still sitting in the chair in front of the hearth. The fire had burnt out hours ago, now only a faint swirl of smoke rose from the ashes. Percy glanced around him, confused for a second as to why he was in an unfamiliar room. Then the events of the previous day came rushing back to him, and he sat up warily. He examined his bandaged arm; the pain in his wrist had almost disappeared over the night, and he could see that the skin around the wound was less red than before. Looking at the bandages reminded him of the night before, and of Grace. He grimaced inwardly at their conversation and his refusal of her. He wondered if she had run away without him, whether she was already on the deck of a ship bound for the New World.

From behind him, he heard three loud knocks on the cell door, which must have woken him up in the first place. Percy stood up and began to walk towards the door, before noticing that a change of clothes had been set on the table, along with a large breakfast. Percy felt perturbed that someone had been in the room while he had been asleep, but his grumbling stomach soothed his worries. He hadn't eaten since his second baptism at camp, and his wound had drained him of energy.

"Just a minute!" he called out, and the knocking stopped. He wolfed down the food, a large plate of eggs with an assortment of pastries. It was richer than he was used to, but he managed to keep the food down.

After he had finished eating, Percy looked at the clothes that had been laid out for him. He looked down at his own clothes: they were dirty and full of burn holes, and his entire right sleeve was missing up to his forearm. He decided that he should look presentable for his meeting with Aphrodite.

He quickly changed into the outfit, a set of dress clothes that looked more expensive than anything he had ever owned. The tailcoat was a dark blue color, with teal buttons that ran down the front of it. He felt mildly constricted as he buttoned up the coat, though as a whole the outfit felt as if it had been tailored specifically to him. In the end, he decided to forgo the powdered wig that had been laid out for him, preferring to run a comb through his hair and call it good enough. "Alright, come in!"

The door to his cell swung open, and Lauren stepped into the room. She was wearing more casual clothing, though she still had the same formidable chestplate above them.

"My Lady demands your presence," she stated formally. "You are to be given another audience, where she will decide your fate."

"I can't wait," he muttered, walking towards the door. As he passed her, however, Lauren put her hand on his chest to stop him.

"I wouldn't talk so flippantly when in the presence of my Lady," she said sternly. "She will not tolerate disrespect in her temple."

"I apologize. I would never dream of disrespecting Aphrodite," he said dryly. Lauren narrowed her eyes, trying to determine if he was being genuine or not. She sighed, shaking her head.

"It's your own head on the line," she reminded him. She looked him over in dismay. "Who taught you how to dress yourself? A monkey?"

Percy looked down at his clothes, not seeing anything wrong. "What is it?"

"You're not supposed to close all of the buttons on your coat," she said as if this was obvious. "You look like a stuffy old man."

"Then why are they there?" he huffed, unbuttoning his coat from the bottom.

"You know what, just leave them all open; that's the fashion with young people nowadays."

He did so, noticing the coat becoming much less restrictive. When he had finished, Lauren examined him critically, pulling on seemingly random pieces of fabric until she appeared satisfied.

"There. You're presentable, at least." She shook her head. "Honestly, did your mother teach you nothing?"

"We never had much experience with fancy dress, what with us being poor and all," he said pointedly.

"That's no excuse. Even folk of modest means should take pride in their appearances." She nodded to herself. "Now, we should be going to my Lady."

Lauren led him down a series of corridors to Aphrodite's chambers, the hallways bedecked with large frescoes and murals depicting the ocean, doves in flight, or women in various states of undress. They passed a few of Aphrodite's priestesses, who exchanged pleasantries with Lauren and introduced themselves to Percy, who forgot their names almost instantly in his troubled state.

Eventually, they reached a set of oak doors that were identical to the ones to Aphrodite's chamber. Lauren pushed them open without preamble, pushing him into the room in front of her.

Aphrodite's chamber was the same as it had been the previous night, though Percy noticed less attendants were present. Aphrodite was sitting on the circular bed in full dress, letting her attendant run a brush through her hair. Her appearance had changed since the last time Percy had seen her. Her hair was darker and she was a bit paler, looking at him through light blue eyes. As he approached the dais, she smiled at him and winked, as if they shared some private joke.

"Percy Jackson, how lovely to see you. Not to be proud, but the outfit I chose for you looks absolutely _marvelous_. Sometimes I even impress myself."

"Thank you, ma'am. I appreciate your…hospitality."

Her smile widened. "I'm sure you do." She kept looking at him as if she was waiting for him to notice something.

Percy narrowed his eyes. "…I do. Can I ask where my friends are?"

"Your friends will be sent up later. For now, I wanted for us to talk alone. I find that best when discussing…sensitive matters."

"Sensitive matters?" he repeated.

"Let me tell you a secret." She leaned forwards. "You're my favorite," she whispered, and giggled. "Don't tell the others."

Percy furrowed his brows, very confused. "Thank you," he said cautiously.

"And because you're my favorite, I've paid special attention to you." She put her hands in her lap. "Tell me, Percy, how did you enjoy your visitor last night?"

Percy gasped. "You-"

Aphrodite nodded, smiling. "Yes, me. I do hope you treated Miss Grace with the respect she deserves. Well, I already know you did. You're a proper gentleman, aren't you?"

"You sent her to spy on me?"

Aphrodite's smile widened. "I _was_ her. She was fashioned out of my godly grace, if you'll forgive the pun." She giggled to herself. "You have to understand, I had to make sure you weren't planning anything. Though I must admit, she…ran away from me a bit at the end there." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Apologies. As part of my essence, I'm afraid Miss Grace is prone to…intense emotions."

"So everything she told me-"

"No, that was all true. I really was given away by my family, to that oaf Hephaestus. I guess somehow Miss Grace internalized my history." She looked at him kindly. "You know, she was right. You _are_ an easy person to talk to."

Percy shook his head, furious. "Stop."

"I've got to commend you; most men don't have the fortitude to resist a whore in their own bedroom. But _you're_ different, aren't you, my good sir?"

"Don't call me that," he growled.

"You seemed to enjoy it before," she teased. "What changed? Am I too old for you? If I remember right, Grace was only a few hours old."

"Stop it!" Percy shouted, causing Aphrodite's attendants to pull out daggers and look at him menacingly. "Just, stop."

Aphrodite's eyes widened, though she continued smiling. "Temper," she warned him, motioning for her servants to stand down. "Feisty, aren't you? I could tell there was something under that calm exterior. I can't say I don't like it." She reached down and sipped from a goblet of wine. "That's why you're my favorite."

"Did you call me here just to torment me?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call this _torment_ ," she chided him. "You can withstand some good-natured teasing between friends, surely?"

"You're not my friend."

" _That's_ not a nice thing to say," she said, miming offense. "And to someone who has helped you so much already." She shook her head sadly.

"Is there a point to this?"

"Is there a point to anything?" she asked airily. "Why do any of us do anything?"

"I have no time for philosophy."

"Neither do I." She leaned back, looking at him smugly. "Do you have any questions?"

Percy stepped forward, frowning. "What would have happened if I'd agreed to Grace's…proposal?"

"For you two to run away together?" Aphrodite looked at him sadly. "Grace was a part of my essence, but not a large one. I could have broken her off, and she would have been a real girl, with human emotions and desires. I would have protected you from Athena's wrath and let you escape to the New World."

Percy swallowed heavily. "So, you're saying-"

"You would have grown old and died with your chestnut-haired love in a cottage by the sea." She cocked her head slightly, almost looking past him. "I can see your future with her. Your hair would gray, but hers wouldn't, the product of the last remnants of godly energy trapped inside of her. Her body would age, but you'd only ever see the beautiful, charming girl you'd ran away with. You would have had three children, two boys and a girl. How fiercely you would have loved those children! And eventually they would have married, and you would have loved your grandchildren even more. You would have died with twenty people crying over your deathbed—your daughter was quite fertile, apparently. You would have died in the arms of your love, and her smiling face would have been the last thing you would have ever seen."

Percy wiped a tear from his eye, crying for all that might have been. He felt Aphrodite pat him on the shoulder, but when he looked up, it was Grace, smiling sadly.

"It's not too late," she said. She took his hands in her own. "We can still have that future. We can have those children, that house by the ocean. We can still be together."

"You're not-" He choked up slightly. "You're not _real_."

"That's never stopped me before." Traces of a grin flickered around her mouth. "I've found that the best things in life aren't real at all." She kissed him again, and he responded fiercely, uncaring that Aphrodite and her attendants were watching. When they separated, Percy felt as if some part of him had left.

"Now _that_ ," she whispered. "Was real."

Percy looked into those eyes full of longing and hope. He pulled her into a tight embrace, tears streaking down his face. "I want to. God save me, I want to. But I can't."

Grace pulled away, sniffling. She gave him a trembling smile. "That's why I love you."

Percy wiped his eyes, and when he looked back, Grace was gone, and Aphrodite was sitting on the bed, bawling.

"That was…beautiful!" she cried, wiping her tears away prettily with a pink handkerchief. "Oh, I feel like I'm going to faint. That was the saddest thing I've seen in my life!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Percy responded thickly. He wiped his eyes again.

Aphrodite held a hand up to her heart, breathing heavily. Several of her attendants flocked to her, trying to calm her down with fans and soothing words. Aphrodite stepped forward and hugged Percy, who received her stiffly. She cried into his shoulder, leaving him to stand there awkwardly.

After a minute, she separated from him. "I'm sorry, it's just-" She dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. "Oh, I haven't cried this hard since Adonis…" The memory of this Adonis person brought her into another fit of tears, and she flew back to Percy's shoulder, sobbing. Percy mildly patted her on the back as her attendants watched sadly. After an uncomfortable amount of time, Aphrodite calmed down enough for her to return to the dais, hiccuping.

"I apologize," she said, fanning herself. "I get these fits sometimes, it's just that was so _sad_. Oh, breakups always get me. I remember, after Paris and Helen, I cried for _weeks_. They were _so cute_ together." She shook her head sadly.

Percy stood there, unsure of what he was supposed to do. Aphrodite had mostly recovered when the doors to the chamber opened. Grover and Annabeth walked into the room, pushed along by some of Aphrodite's priestesses. Grover was wearing a fine dark-green tailcoat, with a large hat of the same color resting on his thick curls. Annabeth had a light blue dress on, though it seemed ill-fitting and looked as if someone else had owned it first. Her hair was slightly messed up, but she seemed no worse the wear for spending the night in Aphrodite's dungeon.

Grover stopped next to Percy, sniffing. "You smell like roses," he noted. "What happened?"

Annabeth looked at him with concern. "Have you been crying?"

"Mister Underwood and Miss Chase, how kind of you to join us," Aphrodite interrupted, fanning herself lazily. All traces of her outburst had disappeared. She didn't even have red eyes despite her copious amount of tears. "Now that you're all here, we can begin the audience."

Annabeth stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Aphrodite, we have come to ask for your-"

Aphrodite waved a hand, cutting her off. "Stop right there, dear; I've already decided to help you."

Annabeth cocked her head, confused. "Really? I thought-"

"I've taken the night to think about your predicament, and after a fine conversation with your friend here, I realized that my anger should be pointed towards my sister, not you three." She pouted at Annabeth apologetically. "You'll have to excuse me for being so hasty last night. Yesterday was _not_ a good day for me, I'm afraid."

Annabeth adjusted her dress awkwardly before nodding. "I ask for your…forgiveness also. I spoke in error last night." Percy could tell that Annabeth was forcing herself to be polite.

Aphrodite smiled. "At least you tried. But of course I forgive you, my dear. And to show that there is no ill will between us, I am prepared to tell you the location of the object of your quest."

Grover gasped. "Really?"

"Yes." Aphrodite looked at Percy fondly. "Your friend moved my heart so much, I felt like it was that least I could do."

Grover looked at him, confused. "What did you say to her?"

Percy sighed. "Later."

Aphrodite clapped her hands together, leaning forward. "So. I have it on good authority that the sword is currently being transferred to Devonport to be delivered to British command in the colonies."

"It would take days for us to get to Devonport," Annabeth said. "Do you know when the transfer will take place?"

"My source says that the sword is planned to leave on a supply ship in one week. I'd recommend you get there before then."

"Who's your source?"

Aphrodite smirked. "The captain of the ship is a…special customer of mine. Trust me, it's the truth."

Annabeth gave a deep bow to Aphrodite. "Thank you, my lady. We will put this information to good use."

"I should hope so: that captain's a chore to listen to. I would hate for my effort to go to waste." She gave Percy a sad look. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, but know that I was rooting for you the whole time. I still am, as a matter of fact." Aphrodite winked slyly. "Don't worry, you're still my favorite." She simpered at Annabeth and Grover apologetically. "Sorry, you two."

Percy bowed his head. "Thank you," he mumbled.

"Oh, cheer up. You've a sword to steal, remember?" Aphrodite leaned back. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Percy Jackson. I have a feeling you're going to be _very_ interesting."

Percy nodded, stepping back. Audience over, the three of them started to leave Aphrodite's chamber. As Percy pushed open the large doors, Aphrodite called back to him.

"If you see your father, say hello from me, will you? We had _such_ a good time back in the day."

He ignored her, letting the doors close behind him as he walked through the private rooms. The brothel was quiet at this time of the morning, with only a few drunken stragglers stumbling around and Aphrodite's priestesses cleaning up. As he walked, Annabeth and Grover followed alongside him, looking at him with concern.

Grover laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright? What happened between you and Aphrodite?"

"Nothing," Percy said brusquely, shrugging off Grover's hand. He was sure that he looked like a mess, after crying heavily and having a sobbing goddess on his shoulder.

He left Aphrodite's temple in silence, not responding when Elizabeth walked out and waved at him enthusiastically. With a burst of light, they stepped out of the brothel into the busy street below. Once they had reached the bottom of the steps, Annabeth rounded on him sternly.

"Are you going to talk about what happened to you? You've definitely been crying."

Grover looked at him sadly. "Aphrodite said something didn't work out for you. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Drop the act, you're not fooling anyone. Look at yourself, you're miserable." Annabeth crossed her arms determinedly. "I need to know that you're ready for this quest. This is the first good lead we've had; I don't want you messing it up because you're moping around."

"I'm fine. I can do the quest, don't worry." He started to walk down the street, brushing past early shoppers and people on their way to work. Annabeth and Grover chased after him, shouting.

"You don't even know where we're going!" Annabeth called to him. "Come back here!" After a second, Percy felt someone grab him by the shoulder and turn him around, bringing him face-to-face with an angry Annabeth.

"Look, I can't force you to trust me, but _this_ isn't the way to deal with your problems. So either you tell me what the hell is going on, or you suck it up and stop acting like a lovesick child." She examined his face closely. "That's it, isn't it? You're lovesick." She smirked as his face confirmed her suspicions. "Really? _That's_ what broke you? What happened, did one of Aphrodite's whores get to you?"

Percy wrenched out of her grip, furious. He rose his hand as if to strike her, but stopped himself, breathing heavily. She looked at him stoically, not moving. He brought his arm down slowly. "Don't. Just…" He took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk about it. But I swear, I'm fine for the mission."

"No, you're not," Annabeth insisted. Her face softened. "I get it if you don't want to talk about it, but you've got to handle this properly or you're going to get us all killed. You've got too many…emotions right now to deal with on your own."

Percy nodded, looking down.

"We'll talk about this later," Annabeth warned him before turning towards the street. She hailed a carriage that had been waiting by the side of the road. The driver was tall, wearing a large overcoat and holding the reins with gloved hands. A large tricorn covered his face.

"Where are you lot heading?" the driver asked gruffly.

"Take us to the stagecoach station outside of town," Annabeth replied, giving him a handful of coins.

The driver counted the coins, grunting. "Get in, then," he said, pointing behind him. The carriage was painted black, with heavy curtains covering the windows. They scrambled into the small space, Percy and Grover squished together on a bench with Annabeth across from them. After a few seconds, the driver shouted to the horses and the carriage began moving forwards. The ride was bumpy and the cabin was dark, forcing the three of them to lean forwards to see each other.

"Alright, this is the plan," Annabeth started. "Right now, we're going to a station outside of the city. From there, we'll take a stagecoach to Devonport. If we're lucky, we should get there with some time to grab the sword."

"And if we're not lucky?" Percy asked.

"Just pray the weather holds up," Annabeth warned.

"What are we going to do once we're there?"

She sighed, pulling a strand of hair away from her face. "We'll have to figure it out at the time. If the sword's still being transported, we might be able to hold up the coach it's on. If it's already on the ship…" She fidgeted with the dagger on her belt. "That would complicate things."

They sat in silence as the cab continued. After a few minutes, the carriage stopped, and they heard the driver climb down from his seat.

Annabeth looked around in confusion. "That was too quick. We can't be there yet." From outside, they heard the driver talk to someone loudly.

"...Got the three of them in the back. Boss'll be proud of me, huh?"

Percy's eyes widened, grabbing his necklace warily. "Other side," he whispered. He reached for the door opposite from where the driver's voice was coming from. He quickly pushed it open, momentarily blinded by the light after being in the dark carriage. When he blinked, he saw a large man blocking the exit, grinning evilly.

"Look who it is," he said gruffly. "Athena's little helpers. If it isn't my lucky day." His golden tooth glinted as he smiled. "Step out of the cab. Now."


	15. A Minor Detour

Percy sat there, contemplating whether he should fight. He could pull out Riptide, but they were in a confined area, and he would likely accidentally stab one of his friends or the roof of the carriage rather than the man in front of him. In his anger, he was about to do it anyway when the man reached into the cabin and grabbed Percy by the collar, dragging him out bodily. Percy sprawled on the dusty ground, groaning. From behind him, he could hear the shouts of Grover and Annabeth as they were pulled out as well. Percy spat dirt out of his mouth, standing up. They were in a dingy part of London, with abandoned and crumbling buildings clumped around a pitted street. Behind one row of buildings was the Thames, though all of the ships were on the other side of the river.

A group of thugs walked out from behind the carriage, carrying a mixture of heavy bats and shining swords. As Percy reached up to pull out Riptide, the man who had pulled him from the cab grabbed his neck, choking him. In a fluid motion, the man reached up with his other hand and ripped Percy's necklace off.

"Now we'll have none of that," the man said quietly. He called out to the thugs. "Take them in." Without waiting for a response, he stepped into a large abandoned building, dragging Percy along by the neck.

The building appeared to be an old factory, with dusty machinery lining the walls and creating faux hallways through the main floor. Percy scrabbled alongside the man gripping his neck, trying not to suffocate. Eventually, they reached a storage room, filled with rotting wooden crates and broken machinery. The man threw Percy down, who landed on the hard floor painfully. He breathed heavily as he was tied firmly to a pipe with his hands behind his back.

"There," the man said. "Now we can have a little chat." His black hair hung over his long face as he eyed Percy maliciously.

From outside the storage room, Percy heard one of the men cry out in pain, followed by a short scuffle and a heavy punch. A few moments later, Grover and Annabeth were escorted forcefully through the door by several agitated criminals. They were restrained next to Percy, and he noticed that Annabeth was sporting a large bruise on the side of her face. He strained against his bonds, enraged.

"She got Roberts, Boss," one of the men said angrily. "Stabbed him with her damned knife. Bleeding out, he is."

The man raised his eyebrow. "Roberts got killed by a little girl? Disgraceful." He spat on the floor. "Leave us."

"But, Boss-"

"Leave us, or Roberts will have a friend to follow him back to Tartarus." He glared at his underling fiercely.

Roberts' friend paled. "S-sorry, Boss," he stammered. "I'll leave now." He fled the room, letting the door close behind him.

The man shook his head, sighing. "Imbecile." He walked over to Percy, who was glaring at him sullenly. "What's this, then?" he said. "Nice clothes you got on you, demigod. Where'd you steal those?"

"I didn't…steal them," Percy managed to spit out.

The man laughed. "Sure, just like I'm not stealing them from you now." He untied Percy's restraints enough for him to pull his coat off, then tied them back. He looked at the jacket, dusting it off, before putting it on. It was a bit small, but he grinned as he examined himself. He reached forward and took Grover's hat, donning that as well. He took Riptide out from his pocket and put it around his neck.

When he was done, the man looked at Percy, arms open. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous," Percy responded sardonically.

"You flatter me." As the man spoke, he paced in front of the three of them, making Percy slightly nauseous as he followed the man's movements. "Now, what am I to do with you three? I've got orders to keep you here until the sword is safely in British hands." He stopped in front of Annabeth. "But I can't let you live after you killed one of my men."

"Whose orders? Who do you work for?" Percy asked.

The man grinned. "That's giving away the surprise, innit? Nah, it's not my place to say. I know who you are, though. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon. Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. Grover Underwood, satyr." He turned to each of them as he said their names.

Grover looked at the man, breathing in heavily. "You're not human," he decided. "You smell like…a horse."

The man gave a loud bray of laughter. "You're right there, boy." He pulled back his long hair, revealing a set of horse ears on the sides of his head.

Percy's eyes widened. "What are you?"

"An ipotane," Annabeth said quietly. "Half man, half horse."

"Right you are! You're a sharp one, aren't you?" He bowed his head to them. "Name's Vervain. I am the leader of the ipotanes, and as of a few minutes ago, you three are my prisoners."

"Half horse?" Grover asked. "Isn't that a centaur?"

Vervain's expression soured. "Centaurs, bah. We were here first, but does anyone remember us? No, those long bastards hog all of the glory! They've monopolized the horse hybrid market, and they're so impractical, besides! You ever invite a centaur into your home? They knock over everything, they break every chair you try to give them, drag in mud from the street…" He shook his head. "No, centaurs are not the only ones who can be half horse."

"What do you want from us?" Percy asked.

Vervain shrugged. "Well, the plan _was_ to keep you locked up here until this business with the sword was over and done with. But then the smart one went and killed Roberts." He frowned at Annabeth. "I didn't particularly like Roberts that much, but nonetheless, I can't let that go unpunished. We ipotanes take care of our own, you see."

Annabeth glared at him. "What are you going to do? Put me on trial for murder?"

"In a sense, yes. Right now my boys are setting up your 'courtroom.' But that's for later." He walked in front of Percy. "I wonder, where were the three of you going to go before we stopped you?"

"The stagecoach station," Percy responded dryly.

Vervain smiled, then reached back and cracked Percy across the face with his palm. Percy let out a short grunt of pain, cheek stinging.

"Don't play funny with me. Where were you going _after_ the stagecoach station?"

Percy looked into Vervain's eyes derisively. "Scotland. I hear it's a pleasant count-" He was interrupted by another slap to the face, causing him to bite his tongue painfully. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.

"What did I just say? I'm going to give you one more chance, boy. _Where were you going_?"

Percy was silent for a moment. If Vervain knew they were going to the sword, he'd tell whoever was behind this to move it somewhere else, and they'd never get to it. He couldn't let that happen.

Percy let out a short laugh. "We were off to see the king. We're French spies, you see, and we wanted to poison his evening tea." Vervain responded by punching Percy in the stomach, leaving him gasping for air. Aphrodite's breakfast threatened to spill out onto the dirty floor.

"You're funny. We'll see how long that lasts." Vervain gave him a dirty look before turning to face Annabeth, who was looking ahead stoically. "What about you, girl? Are you gonna be more helpful?"

"I doubt it," she said dispassionately.

Vervain hit her too, causing her head to snap to the side with a terrible _crack_. For a second, Percy thought the blow had knocked her out, but Annabeth moved her head back jerkily, breathing heavily. He strained against the ropes, shouting wordlessly. Vervain brought his hand up for another blow before he was interrupted by a shout to the side.

"Stop! Stop, I'll tell you!" Grover yelled, crying.

"No!" Annabeth gasped out. "Don't!"

Vervain smiled, moving in front of Grover. "Well, isn't that touching. Trying to help your friend? I wouldn't bother: she'll get her justice soon enough."

Grover took in a shuddering breath. "Portsmouth. That's where we were heading."

Percy's eyes widened as he realized Grover was lying. He thought quickly, fighting against his restraints. "Grover, stop!" he shouted. "Don't tell him!"

Vervain looked back at him angrily. "Quit your yelling before I do it for you!" He turned back to Grover. "And what were you lot going to do in Portsmouth?"

"Aphrodite had a…contact there," Grover mumbled. "A merchant. We were going to take his ship to the colonies, and grab the sword there."

"Grover!" Annabeth was a good actor, managing to start tearing up. "You're ruining the quest!"

"Shut it!" Vervain roared. "Portsmouth," he said thoughtfully. "I'll send some of the boys to check it out." He smiled at Grover. "You're a good kid, you are. Better than your two friends over here." Grover looked back at him, confused. "Oi, Marshall!" Vervain called out. "Get in here!"

The door swung open, and another ipotane walked in. He had a normal body, but between his shoulders was a tawny-haired horse head, with a full mane running down his neck. Percy jumped as he saw the newcomer, shocked.

"What is it, Boss?" Marshall asked through his long mouth.

"Escort the satyr to one of the private rooms. He's earned himself a better cell."

The horse-headed ipotane nodded, stepping forward and cutting Grover's restraints open. As he worked, he glared at Annabeth, snorting angrily.

"You're the one that killed Roberts," he huffed.

"I'll do the same to you next, if you want," Annabeth said spitefully. Marshall snorted, but lowered his gaze. Soon, Grover was free and was being pushed forwards by Marshall. With a plaintive look back, Grover was led outside, the door closing behind him.

Vervain looked between Percy and Annabeth angrily. "See that? That's what happens to people I like. And right now, I don't like either of you."

"I'm not a big fan of you either," Percy spat.

Vervain chuckled darkly. "I'll let you say your goodbyes. The trial starts soon." With those ominous words, he left the storeroom, locking the door behind him.

Percy let out a loud sigh once Vervain had left. His stomach felt tied in knots, and throwing up was still a definite possibility. He leaned against the pipe as much as he could.

"Are you alright?" Annabeth asked.

"Oh, I'm great. What about you?"

She groaned. "I've been better."

He was silent for a moment. "I'm worried about Grover."

Annabeth nodded. "Me too. That was smart thinking, lying to Vervain. He saved us."

"And now we don't know where they took him." He let out a sigh of frustration. "I don't suppose you have a plan to get us out of here."

Annabeth shook her head. She looked up, groaning in frustration. "I _hate_ being tied up like this. I don't like feeling restricted." She shifted uncomfortably.

Percy was quiet, thinking. "When we were with the Ceramici, you said that you didn't choose to come with me. What did you mean by that?"

"Really? We're doing that _now_?"

"I can't think of anything better to do."

She sighed. "You're impossible."

"Well?"

Annabeth looked at him sourly. "The day before you showed up at camp, I had a dream."

"A dream?"

"To demigods, dreams are big deals. More often than not, they have prophetic meanings."

"Too bad I didn't have a dream about being kidnapped by a guy with horse ears."

"Can you be quiet for five seconds?" Annabeth snapped. "Honestly, do you want me to tell you or not?"

Percy nodded, chastised. "Sorry. Continue."

"I dreamt of…you. You were fighting a monster on a bridge. The _kakodaimon_."

"Eurynomos," Percy said gravely. Annabeth nodded.

"Yes. Then, my mother spoke to me. Athena. She told me to go along with you on your quest, and…" Annabeth looked at him strangely. "To not trust you."

Percy blinked in surprise. "So that's why…"

"When I heard that they had brought in a new demigod, I asked if I could help fix you up. I said it was for research, but I wanted to make sure it was you."

He scowled. "And she said not to trust me? Why not?"

"I don't know; she didn't tell me. _Should_ I trust you?"

"Of course you should!" Percy said, offended. "When have I acted untrustworthy?"

"How about when you refused to talk about what happened to you in Aphrodite's temple?" Annabeth shot back. "Hiding secrets isn't going to win my trust."

"Th-that's different," Percy stammered. "Completely unrelated-"

Annabeth smirked wryly. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. But now you know, you aren't the only person who was forced to come along for this quest."

"So Grover is the only one who actually wants to be here."

"That's how it appears." Annabeth sighed. "And he's currently in the hands of the enemy."

"I'd worry about yourself first," a voice from the doorway said. Grinning, Vervain stepped into the room. "Your trial starts now, murderer."

Annabeth scoffed. "Don't act like you're the righteous ones in this situation. My mother _invented_ trials. Do I need to remind you that you were in the middle of _kidnapping_ me when I killed Roberts?"

"That don't change the facts, girl." From behind him, a pair of ipotanes stepped towards Annabeth, chuckling maliciously. "It's time for you to pay." With a few slashes of his knife, one of the ipotanes cut Annabeth free before both of them grabbed her by the arms as she tried to wriggle out of their grips. They led her away as she protested furiously.

"What are you going to do to her?" Percy asked, straining against his bonds.

Vervain contemplated him, smiling. "If she's found guilty, she dies. Murder is a capital offense, you know. If she's found innocent, well…" He shrugged. "We'll probably kill her anyway."

"That's not justice!"

"It's not really about justice, innit? It's about revenge." Vervain thought for a second, then reached over and cut Percy loose, grabbing him by the collar. "Why don't you join us? It'll be funny seeing your face when we chop her head off." He mimed a slicing motion with his hand. Percy glared at him, not saying anything.

"Good, that's the response I wanted," Vervain said, nodding. He forced Percy to his feet and led him out of the storeroom quickly. They made their way to the main floor of the factory, where a large area had been cleared out to make a rough circle. A crowd of ipotanes surrounded the circle, with varying amounts of horse present in their appearance. Most of the crowd looked passably human, except for the large horse ears sticking out of their hair and the fact that their knees bent the wrong way. A number of ipotanes were like Marshall, with a full horse head on their shoulders. One ipotane looked like a horse that had learned to walk on its back legs, holding an apple awkwardly between its front hooves.

Vervain dragged Percy to the opposite end of the circle, where a number of seats had been laid out, along with a crystal bowl holding a chunk of sugar. Some ipotanes in fancy dress were already seated, along with a frightened Grover who was standing behind them, chained by his ankle. The seated ipotanes stood up as Vervain approached, bowing their heads respectfully.

"Hope you lot are ready for a show!" Vervain announced, pushing Percy along in front of him. He forced Percy into a wooden chair near the back of the circle. Two ipotanes stepped forward and bound Percy's arms and legs to the chair with bands of cloth, facing him towards the open area.

As he struggled against his restraints, Grover hobbled next to him. "What are we going to do?" he whispered.

Percy looked at Grover's comparative freedom with resentment. "I don't know," he whispered back. "Let's just wait— _what the hell is that_?"

Grover looked down in surprise. "What—oh."

Grover's legs were covered with shaggy fur the same color as his hair, and they bent at a disturbing angle near his feet. Instead of feet, he had a pair of black hooves.

"Did they turn you into one of them?" Percy asked, frantic. "Are you an ipotane now?"

Grover frowned. "No, they didn't _turn_ me into anything. I've always been like this."

"You've _always_ been like that?" Percy repeated. "What…how… _what_?" he spluttered. "What are you?"

"I'm a satyr," Grover said indignantly. "I'm half goat."

"Half _goat_?" Percy felt as if someone had pulled the chair out from underneath him. "Wait, does that mean…was your mother a-"

"No, my mother wasn't a goat," Grover snapped. "Don't be ridiculous. Both of my parents are satyrs."

"But at one point _someone_ must have-"

"Stop it, that's disgusting," Grover cut him off.

"And you've hid this the entire time I've known you?"

"If I knew you were going to freak out about it, I wouldn't have told you in the first place."

"Oh, sorry for not being _understanding_ enough when I realize that my best friend is half _goat_ ," Percy hissed. "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"Well, obviously now is a bad time," Grover conceded. "But the ipotanes didn't want me to…hide my heritage."

Percy's head was starting to hurt. "I can't believe-"

He was cut off by the loud voice of Vervain calling out to the crowd.

"Fellow ipotanes!" Vervain sounded like a street performer gathering attention for their act. "We have a murderer in our midst! Are we going to let this crime go unpunished?"

A roar rose from the crowd, accompanied by the stomping of several dozen hooves. As Vervain talked, one of the ipotanes sitting down reached over to the bowl and took a large bite of the sugar, chewing noisily.

"Bring forth the prisoner!" Vervain commanded. From the crowd emerged a particularly large ipotane, dragging behind him Annabeth, who was chained by the wrists. Her hair was disheveled and she walked with a slight limp as she looked around furiously. Percy noticed that the ipotane in charge of her had several painful-looking bruises on his body and a bit of dried blood underneath his nose. The crowd jeered mockingly as Annabeth passed.

"Are you ready to face justice?" Vervain said, raising his arms. Annabeth remained silent, glowering at him. "Your silence speaks volumes," Vervain said dryly before clapping his hands together. "As is the ancient tradition, you will be given a chance to prove your innocence in a trial by combat. Win, and we may not kill you, after all." A quiet chuckle came from the crowd.

Annabeth examined the audience around her nonchalantly. "Fine. Who am I going to fight?"

Vervain waved his hand, and a brawny ipotane clad in leather armor stepped into the ring. His mane was braided in sections down his neck, and we was wearing a number of golden bracelets and necklaces that jingled as he walked. The ipotane stopped in front of Vervain, bowing his head respectfully.

"This is your opponent; the mighty warrior, Rowan!" Vervain announced, looking at Annabeth as if he expected her to break down and cry at the sight of Rowan. To her part, Annabeth merely shrugged.

"Sounds good." She offered her chained wrists to Vervain. "Let me out of these, and I'll fight."

Vervain narrowed his eyes, obviously disappointed by the lack of reaction. "...Of course."

With another wave, the ipotane that had brought Annabeth out stepped forward and unlocked her restraints. She rubbed her wrists appreciatively. "And my weapon?"

Grumbling slightly at her unenthusiasm, Vervain tossed Annabeth's dagger at her. It landed on the stone floor with a clatter. Annabeth bent down and picked it up, looking it over idly.

Across from her, Rowan was doing a number of pre-fight exercises, swinging his large broadsword dangerously close to the audience. His jewelry jangled pleasantly every time he moved his arms.

Vervain cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention. "Now that both of our fighters are ready, let the trial begin!"


	16. Justice

As soon as Vervain started the fight, Rowan ran at Annabeth, shouting furiously. Annabeth stood her ground as he approached. Right as he swung his sword, she leapt out of the way deftly, nearly running into the crowd at the edge of the ring. Her hand was over her arm defensively; she had managed to avoid the full brunt of the swing, but Rowan had scored a deep cut in her forearm. Blood was starting to well up underneath her hand.

"Don't try to be clever!" Percy yelled, inviting dirty looks from the nearby ipotanes. "Just fight him!"

Annabeth glanced at him, but her attention was retaken by Rowan's next charge. She dodged out of the way of his sword, taking a cut to the face.

"Stop moving!" the large ipotane huffed angrily, snorting in frustration. He swung his sword wildly, missing Annabeth by a full foot. In response, Annabeth jumped up and slashed Rowan with her dagger, sending out a spray of dust.

As Annabeth ran out of range, Rowan examined his wound. "You stabbed me!" he said stupidly. He stepped around her in a circle, letting his sword drag across the floor. In a flurry of movement, he ran at Annabeth and swung his sword down vertically at her. She sidestepped the attack easily, but as she moved to the left Rowan brought up his hand and backhanded her across the face painfully, causing an appreciative roar to rise from the crowd. Annabeth staggered backwards, holding a hand up to her face.

Pressing his advantage, Rowan lunged forward and swiped his sword at Annabeth, slicing her in the shoulder. Annabeth cried out in pain and shock, backing away from Rowan quickly. She backed into the crowd surrounding the arena and was forcefully pushed back by the jeering ipotanes.

Rowan approached her slowly, grinning, which was very strange to see on a horse's face. Dust was trickling out of his wound as he pointed his sword at Annabeth. "You're good, I'll grant you that. But you're not-" Rowan was cut off as Annabeth ran towards him, slicing a long cut along his torso before running a safe distance away.

"Oi, I was talking!" Rowan yelled, offended. "You can't just do that!" He examined his new wound in dismay. "Ooh, that's rough," he complained. "Stings, that does." He shook his head quickly. "Alright, now you're in for it. No more holding back." He hefted his sword and launched a series of quick blows to Annabeth. She was just barely managing to deflect his attacks with her dagger, though she was being forced back and her blocks were becoming slower. Rowan moved forward leisurely, taking his time as he pushed her back. One swing slipped past Annabeth's dagger, leaving a trail of red across her thigh. Annabeth cried out and fell to the floor.

"No!" Percy yelled, watching helplessly as Rowan approached Annabeth, sword on his shoulder. Annabeth was shuffling slightly on the ground, trying to pull herself up. Rowan lifted his sword above his head, ready to deal the final blow. Percy strained against his bonds, horrified. "Wait! No!"

Right as it seemed as if Annabeth was about to be killed, she pulled something out of her dress and jammed it onto her head. Percy was just able to recognize the item as a black tricorn hat before Annabeth disappeared.

Rowan's sword stopped in midair as he realized what had happened. "Wh-" he glanced around him quickly. "Where'd she go?"

Percy blinked, unsure of what had happened. Annabeth had been right there, about to be killed, but now…

Vervain gripped the arms of his chair, glaring at Percy angrily. "What is this trickery? Did you know about this?"

"N-no!" Percy protested. "I didn't kn-"

His sputtering was cut off as Rowan gave a loud shout of pain from the arena. Gashes were appearing in his skin without any apparent cause, leaking dust quickly. Rowan's eyes widened as he looked around in desperation. He swung his sword wildly, but that only caused a cut to appear on his unprotected torso. After a few more seconds of confusion, Rowan fell to the ground. His body completely dissolved, leaving a pile of foul-smelling dust.

Nervous muttering overtook the crowd at Rowan's demise, as the ipotanes looked around themselves for any more unseen threats. Vervain stood up in anger, his large ears twitching furiously. "Deceit!" he roared. "Treachery! Where are you?"

Without any warning, Annabeth suddenly reappeared in the center of the arena, removing the tricorn from her head. She shook her long hair loose before looking back at Vervain.

"I won," she said simply. "Am I innocent now?" Her calm demeanor was undercut by the tremble in her voice.

Vervain's face purpled with fury. "You…you have tarnished the sacred right of trial by combat! That was not a proper battle!"

"You never said magic items weren't allowed," Annabeth argued. "I followed all of the rules."

"That was…that was an _implicit_ rule!" Vervain said somewhat unsurely. "You weren't supposed to-"

"I wasn't supposed to _win_ , you mean?" Annabeth shot back. "I thought I was fighting to prove my innocence." As she spoke, she staggered slightly on her feet, holding onto the cut on her arm defensively.

"This proves nothing!" Vervain roared. "Only that you would use tricks and lies to evade justice!"

"Oh yes, because you all care _so much_ about justice," Annabeth replied caustically. "Don't pretend this _trial_ was anything more than a thinly-veiled execution. And a failed one, at that." Percy raised his eyebrows in surprise. Annabeth's courage was impressive for someone who was surrounded by enemies and bleeding from several wounds.

"Silence!" Vervain roared, swiping the air in front of him. "By Poseidon, if you say one more word-"

"What'll you do? You're going to kill me anyway." Annabeth spat.

Percy was impressed that Annabeth was standing up for herself but also afraid that she was going to get herself killed by doing so. He wondered if that was how he looked when he was similarly making enemies with Dionysus and Athena.

Vervain was practically shaking with rage as he glowered at Annabeth. "I could kill you right now!"

"I would _love_ to see you try." Annabeth's face was red with emotion and possibly trauma. She glanced at Percy, doing a small double-take as she saw him. Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at his chest.

Percy looked down and was shocked to see that Riptide was back around his neck, despite the fact that Vervain had walked off with it a while ago. He looked up and saw that Vervain wasn't wearing the necklace anymore, though he didn't seem to care in his anger.

Vervain didn't notice the small interaction between Annabeth and Percy. He was breathing heavily, glaring at Annabeth. "You come into _my_ home-"

"You _kidnapped_ us!" Annabeth exclaimed. "Have you forgotten already?"

"Shut _up_!" Vervain yelled, stepping into the circle. "You killed my men, and you used some…witchcraft to do it!" He shook his head. "You're not getting out of here alive." He approached Annabeth, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Annabeth eyed him warily, shuffling backwards. He was a full foot taller than her, and he had a murderous glint in his eyes.

As Vervain stepped away, Percy leaned forward in his chair, trying to bring his necklace into his hand. He strained against his bonds painfully, the cloth digging into his skin. Eventually, he managed to lean forward enough to grab Riptide. He pressed the seashell, hoping against hope it would work this time. Miraculously, his sword appeared in his hand, shining as always. None of the ipotanes has noticed Percy's actions, so engrossed they were with Vervain and Annabeth. He held the sword in one hand and began to awkwardly cut through the bonds on his left arm.

As Percy worked, Vervain continued to step towards Annabeth dangerously. With a cry, he brought his hand up and punched in front of him impossibly fast. Annabeth managed to dodge out of the way, but if she hadn't he would have most likely knocked her out. Backing away, Annabeth put on her magic hat, causing her to disappear. Vervain snorted, looking around him closely.

By this point, Percy had managed to free his arm, and was quickly trying to cut through the bonds on his other limbs to free himself. He glanced up as he worked, worried that someone would notice.

"Where are you!" Vervain shouted angrily. "I'll not be made a fool of again!" He sniffed the air loudly, trying to find Annabeth. Suddenly, he grunted in pain as a large wound appeared in his side. In response, Vervain swung his large arm towards what had hurt him, connecting with something solid. With a _thud_ , Annabeth suddenly appeared on the floor, dazed. Her hat had fallen off and was laying next to her. Vervain smiled grimly, moving forward slowly.

With a grunt, Percy cut through his last restraint. He stood up quickly, brandishing Riptide. Vervain had his back to him as he moved towards Annabeth. Percy rushed through through the crowd of ipotanes, running into the ring. He swung Riptide, cutting a deep wound in Vervain's back. Vervain turned around to see what had happened, roaring in pain. When he saw Percy, his eyes narrowed.

"You! This isn't your fight," he growled.

"Well, I'm making it my fight," Percy responded. He glanced behind Vervain, where Annabeth was stumbling to her feet.

Vervain grimaced, unsure. "I ain't gonna hurt you, kid."

"Why not?"

"It's…it's not the rules, innit?" Vervain looked behind him nervously. "Only one fight at a time."

"What's the matter? Are you scared?" With much more courage than he felt, Percy stepped towards Vervain menacingly. He didn't understand why the ipotane was hesitating, but he was going to use it to his advantage.

"Of you? 'Course not!"

"Then why don't you fight me?"

Vervain snorted in anger. "You're a real brat, you know that?" He seemed to decide something for himself. "Alright then, here we go." He ran at Percy, shouting. Before Percy could react, Vervain swung his fist heavily into Percy's chest, causing Percy to fly back several feet. He landed on the stone floor painfully, groaning. His ribs felt like an anvil had fallen on them.

"Don't get cocky, boy," Vervain sneered. "I need—oi!" He was cut off as Annabeth jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She grimaced in pain as she tried to strangle the large ipotane, who tried to buffet her off with heavy blows. Vervain stumbled around the arena comically for a while, struggling to breathe and scrabbling at Annabeth's arms.

With an enormous effort, Percy managed to get to his feet. He picked up Riptide and walked towards Vervain, who was too preoccupied with Annabeth to notice him approaching. Percy swung his sword down, cutting Vervain's left leg deeply. The ipotane cried out in shock, dropping to his knees. As he fell, Annabeth took out her dagger and brought it deep into Vervain's chest before jumping off of his back. By the time he hit the ground, Vervain had already dissolved into a pile of dust. Percy coughed as the dust entered his nostrils, burning him.

Annabeth bent down to pick up her dagger from the pile that had once been Vervain before regarding Percy. "Thanks," she said, breathing heavily.

He nodded, holding onto his ribs in pain. "Yeah." He raised his head, then froze as he realized that they were still surrounded by a crowd of ipotanes who were probably none too pleased with them killing their leader. "We should leave."

The ipotanes were stunned for a while, looking around them in confusion now that Vervain was dead. Anxious muttering came from the crowd as Percy and Annabeth rushed out of the circle, Annabeth stopping to pick up her magic tricorn from the floor. Percy had just used Riptide to cut through Grover's chain when one of the ipotanes stepped forward.

"Hey!" he yelled, pointing at Percy. "You killed the Boss! That's cheating!" The crowd murmured agreement.

Percy stood there for a second before knocking over the table holding the sugar. "Run!" The three of them bolted out of the factory, pushing through the crowd before they could organize themselves. Percy slammed into the door, knocking it open before running outside.

The street was as desolate as before and smelled of rotting fish. Annabeth pointed in front of them, where the carriage was still waiting in the street. The driver ipotane looked at them in surprise, leaning against the cab. He straightened and began to walk towards them.

"What's going on? The Boss didn't let you go-" He was swiftly interrupted by Percy's sword ripping through his chest. The driver didn't have time to gasp before he collapsed into dust.

"Get on!" Percy ordered, clambering into the driver's seat. Grover led Annabeth onto the carriage, muttering anxiously. The four horses at the front were understandably spooked at seeing their driver killed, and were looking at Percy with fear.

"Who are you?" A black mare asked. "Why'd you kill Charlie?"

Percy grabbed the reins, glancing nervously at the factory. "Go! We need to leave!"

"What's the rush?" One of the older horses looked at him sternly. "You've got to explain what exactly is happening."

From his right, the door to the factory burst open, and the ipotanes started to stream onto the street. They were pointing at the carriage, yelling angrily.

Percy rapped the reins quickly, startling the horses. "Go, now! Please, we can't stay here!"

The horses looked at each other with concern, but they began to gallop forward, moved by the anxiety in his voice. The carriage raced down the small street, kicking up dust as Percy struggled to not run into anything. This part of London was relatively empty, allowing them access to the entire road. After a few minutes, they had left the city proper, and were driving through a forest path.

Satisfied that they had lost the ipotanes, Percy sat back, sighing in relief. From behind him, however, he heard Grover cry out in surprise and a loud thunderous noise close to them. Percy turned in his seat to look around the carriage.

"Christ Almighty!" Percy cursed as he saw what was behind them. A horde of angry ipotanes were galloping after the carriage, waving their spears and shields in the air. The ipotane that resembled an entire horse was running along on his hind legs, towering over the mob. He was hearing a steel helm and spikes were coming out of his front hooves. The group was catching up to the carriage, kicking up a cloud of dust in their wake.

"We need to go faster!" Percy instructed the horses loudly.

The older stallion looked at him sideways, breathing heavily. "We're going as fast as we can. Any faster, and we'd break our legs."

From inside the carriage, Percy heard music playing. He turned to see Grover leaning out of the window of the cab, playing his pipes. Behind them, roots were starting to grow from the path, grabbing onto the ipotanes' legs as they passed. Many of the roots were crushed underneath the ipotanes' hooves, but Percy saw a few ipotanes fall over painfully, knocking over their fellows next to them. The ipotanes were forced to slow down to avoid getting tripped, but they were still closing in on the carriage.

Percy looked ahead of him just in time to follow a turn in the path, just barely not running into a grove of trees. The horses snorted angrily at his inattention.

Branches whipped Percy's face as they passed, and his chest still felt as if it had caved in. Percy held the reins weakly, pain shooting through him every time the carriage jostled. The angry shouting behind them was becoming louder, and he heard whizzing sounds next to him as spears flew around the carriage. He ducked his head to avoid being struck, limiting his view of the road ahead of him. The horses were tiring quickly, more used to the slow pace of the city streets. They were breathing heavily, and foam was starting to appear in the older horses' mouths. Percy knew that they wouldn't last much longer at this speed.

More projectiles were being flung at the carriage, including arrows, stones, and sticks. One of the rocks hit the mare in her side, causing her to neigh in panic, turning quickly off of the road. The other horses followed, leading the carriage into the dense forest. Thick branches threatened to knock Percy off of the carriage as he struggled to regain control.

"Stop! Slow down!" he yelled, but the horses didn't respond. They kept running, maneuvering through the trees. Percy closed his eyes in fear, shouting wordlessly. After a few seconds of panic, he felt something whack him in the face, and he blacked out.


	17. Family Outing

Percy regained consciousness with a start, his head resting against the roof of the cab. He blinked, trying to get his bearings. The carriage had stopped, and they were in the middle of a small clearing in the forest. The horses were still harnessed, snorting loudly as they tried to calm down. He figured that he must have been out for only a few minutes. Percy looked around him; they seemed to be alone, and he couldn't hear the ipotanes' war cries any longer. He jumped from the driver's seat, regretting it instantly as pain shot through his ribs. He hobbled to the cab, pulling open the heavy door.

Inside, Grover was patching up Annabeth's wounds as she sat in silence. Percy thought she was sleeping until she turned to look at him. Percy winced as he saw her face: a large bruise was forming on her cheek where Rowan had backhanded her.

"Did we lose them?" she asked.

"I don't know. I think so." Percy scratched his neck. "Hopefully we'll be safe here."

Grover finished putting a bandage on Annabeth's shoulder. "That's all I can do for now. Can you move?"

Annabeth nodded, moving past Percy to leave the cab. She jumped to the ground, looking around them. Grover followed, leaving the bag of medical supplies.

"They were right on us," Annabeth noted, examining the forest. "Why didn't they follow?

Percy examined the forest too, looking for any hidden ipotanes. "I don't see anything," he said. "I don't think the ipotanes are the sneaky type."

Grover smelled the air. "Someone's coming!"

A rustling to their left attracted all of their attention. Percy drew Riptide, pointing it in the direction of the noise. From the bushes emerged a tall man, holding his hands up defensively. His clothes were matted with dirt, and his long hair ran down to his shoulders.

"W-wait!" he said, startled at their response. "I-I…"

"Who are you?" Percy called, not lowering his sword.

"Thomas Hall," he responded. "P-please, we don't mean any harm."

"We?" Annabeth repeated. "There are more of you?"

Thomas' eyes widened at his slip-up, but he motioned behind him. After a few seconds, more people walked out from the bushes, each of them as filthy as Thomas. One of them was an old man, hobbling forward on a wooden cane. A woman with three children clinging to her skirt eyed them warily. Thomas stood between Percy and the woman, protecting her.

Percy was surprised at the number of people who had suddenly appeared from the forest. Almost unconsciously, he lowered his sword. "Who are you all? What are you doing here?"

"We're just passing by," Thomas said calmly. "We saw that you were attacked by bandits, and we wanted to see if you were alright."

"You wanted to loot our bodies, you mean," Annabeth said cynically.

Thomas looked horrified at the accusation. "No! No, we would never!"

His refusal was cut off as Percy heard more rustling behind him. Percy quickly turned around, bringing Riptide up again. From the darkness of the forest, a young girl with brown hair stepped into the clearing. She was wearing a simple shawl, hiding the top of her face in shadow. She was looking at Percy intensely, and with an intelligence that was beyond her years.

"Hello, Percy Jackson," the girl greeted, smiling warmly.

Percy hesitated, unsure of what to do. "How do you know my name?"

"You're quite famous, Percy. It would be remiss of me not to know who you are."

"Famous? I don't understand."

The girl stepped towards him, tsking. "Oh, but you're injured." She looked at Annabeth. "You, too. Don't worry, dears. You're safe now."

Percy felt strange being talked to like this from a child. The girl walked between them, stopping in front of Thomas.

"These are friends of mine," she explained, causing Thomas to let out a sigh of relief. "I'm afraid they're hurt, though. Can we stop here for a while so I can help them?"

Thomas looked around the clearing warily before nodding. "Of course. The children are tired, anyway." He turned around and spoke to the woman, motioning towards Percy. She nodded, and the group went about setting up camp. The three children looked at Percy with wide eyes as they walked with their mother.

The girl looked back at the three of them, smiling. "Please, sit down. You must be tired after all you've been through."

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Percy asked, extremely confused.

"My name is Hestia," the girl said, bowing her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Grover and Annabeth both gasped as Hestia said her name. " _The_ Hestia?" Grover asked, incredulous.

Hestia's amber eyes sparkled. "Yes, Grover."

Percy looked at his companions in confusion. "Who is she?"

"Hestia," Annabeth explained. "Goddess of the hearth and family."

Percy looked between Annabeth and Hestia in surprise. " _You're_ a goddess?"

"I am," she affirmed softly. "Now that I've introduced myself, I'm afraid I must insist that you sit down. You shouldn't be wasting your energy." She pointed to a blazing campfire that had not been there before. Logs had been placed around the fire to serve as seating.

Percy cautiously put Riptide away before sitting down at the fire. Warmth washed over him, and he faintly smelled cinnamon in the smoke. Now that he was sitting, Hestia was almost eye-level with him.

"Grover, dear, do you mind asking Annie if she needs any help?" Hestia asked. "I'm sure she could use another set of hands."

Grover looked at Percy with concern, not wanting to leave them alone. Percy nodded, dismissing him. "We'll be fine." Still worried, Grover turned around and walked towards the woman, who was helping the old man into the shade of a tree.

Hestia walked over to Annabeth, looking over her wounds sadly. "You poor thing." She ran a hand across Annabeth's bandage, causing her to wince in pain. "You're so brave." As her hand moved over the wounds, Annabeth relaxed, leaning forward slightly in her seat. Hestia continued to whisper encouragements as she worked, holding onto Annabeth's hand with her own. Eventually, she stepped away from Annabeth, smiling. Annabeth looked to be in noticeably less pain, and the bruise on her cheek had largely faded away. She yawned softly as Hestia ran her hand through her hair comfortingly.

"Rest now," she instructed, gently laying Annabeth down along the bench. Annabeth fell asleep quickly, breathing quietly.

Hestia moved over to Percy, who was watching her with mild apprehension. She placed a hand on his chest, and he felt a soothing warmth emanate from the contact.

"You've been through so much," Hestia said quietly as to not wake Annabeth. "And I'm afraid your troubles aren't nearly over yet." Percy felt the pain in his ribs subside as Hestia's warmth ran through him. He took a deep breath, not realizing how difficult it had been to breathe before.

The healing left him feeling tired, and his eyes drooped slightly as he looked at Hestia. "What do you mean?"

Hestia looked at him sadly. "You children are involved in something that is much bigger than yourselves." She looked up, searching the sky for something. "The gods are in open conflict. Olympus is divided amongst itself. My family is fighting each other."

"The gods are fighting?" Percy asked. "That sounds…bad."

"It is," she said solemnly. "Athena broke the peace by sending you three on this quest. Now, even Zeus is struggling to keep everything together. Factions have formed in the Council, and I'm afraid many of them are targeting you children." She brought a hand to his cheek. "I'm so sorry. If I could stop them, I would; it pains me to see my family like this."

"Why are you helping us? Are you on Athena's side?"

"I don't take sides," she said. "I've been trying to calm the tensions in Olympus, but there's only so much I can do. On top of everything, Aphrodite's riled everyone up by letting you three escape her temple." Hestia shook her head, smiling sadly. "That girl. She's such a kind soul, at heart."

Aphrodite didn't strike Percy as a particularly kind person, but he kept quiet. "So what _are_ you doing?"

Hestia looked behind her, where the children were playing a running game around a tree. "The Halls are Catholic. They were run out of their home two weeks ago, by their own friends and neighbors. I'm escorting them to France, where they'll be able to live in peace." Hestia frowned at the look of disdain on Percy's face when he heard that they were Catholic. "Now, I'll have none of that," she said sternly. "They're fine people, and I won't have any religious bickering while you're with me. You are in no position to make more enemies."

Percy supposed she was right, though it was difficult to suppress his ingrained distrust of Catholics. Being a major trade city, London was more tolerant than most of the country. Even still, he had grown up around anti-papal sentiment for most of his life. "You're right. I'll…try not to bring it up."

"Good." Hestia smiled again. "Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see you three. The ipotanes are a nasty bunch, and I was so worried that they would kill you. But you're able to handle yourselves, that much is clear. I would hate for you to get hurt because of my family's disagreements."

"About the ipotanes," Percy said. "They were right behind us when I was knocked out. Do you know what happened to them?"

A glimmer of pride entered Hestia's eyes. "I suppose they were driven away by my godly presence. The ipotanes are fierce, but they're not suicidal."

"Really? _You_ scared off a horde of monsters?" The child in front of him did not look very frightening to Percy.

"Do not be fooled by looks, Percy," she warned. "I may not seem very impressive in this form, but there is more to power than muscles and swords. There is strength in numbers. Strength in family." She smirked. "Also, I can blast people with fire."

"Ah." Percy didn't know how to react to that bit of information.

Hestia ruffled his hair kindly. "Well, I think you're good for now. I'm no Apollo, but I did the best I could. Why don't you go help Thomas with the horses? I'll stay here with Annabeth."

Percy was hesitant to leave Annabeth alone, but he decided that Hestia was truly trying to help them. "Sure." He stood up and began walking to the carriage. When he looked back, Hestia was kneeling over Annabeth, running a hand through her hair fondly as she slept. It unnerved Percy how familiar Hestia was acting with them, as if she was their mother instead of someone they had only just met twenty minutes ago.

Percy made his way to the carriage, where Thomas had unharnessed the horses and was tending to their needs. As Percy walked up, the man was examining a wound on one of the horses' side. He turned as Percy approached.

"Hey," Thomas said cautiously. He eyed Percy warily, as if he was going to attack at any minute. "Sorry if I'm intruding: I used to breed horses, so I don't like to see them roughed up like this."

"It's fine," Percy assured him. "I came over to see if you needed any help, is all."

Thomas looked at him suspiciously, trying to see if he was being genuine. He rubbed the horse's back soothingly as he spoke. "You kids were quite lucky to escape from those highwaymen."

Percy blinked. "Yes, highwaymen." He decided not to tell Thomas the whole story.

Thomas looked at the cab before turning back to Percy. "This is quite a nice carriage. Where did you get it?"

Percy noticed the accusation hidden in Thomas' voice. "We rented it in the city."

"With no driver?"

"Ah…" Percy didn't know how to respond to that.

Thomas chuckled. "It's alright: I'm in no place to judge. It's a good thing you children are safe, anyway. The roads are dangerous."

"You sound as if you know that from experience."

He nodded grimly. "We've had to skirt our way down the countryside for the past two weeks. It's been hard on all of us, but I can't hope to protect everyone if something were to happen."

"How did you meet Hestia?"

"She just showed up last week. We hadn't been _going_ anywhere, you know, just moving for the sake of it. Hestia said she could bring us to the Channel; from there, we can catch a ship to France. She's been a great help, especially with the children."

"And you don't think she's a bit…young?"

He shrugged. "She seems more than capable to me."

"She's a child!"

Thomas gave him a confused look. "What on Earth are you talking about? I'm no spring chicken, myself, but I certainly wouldn't call Hestia a child."

Percy realized that, as a goddess, Hestia would probably be able to enchant Thomas into thinking she looked older. He decided to drop the subject.

From behind Percy, one of the children ran up to Thomas. He had the same dark hair as his father, and his clothing was covered in loose dirt. Across the clearing, Grover was trying to keep his siblings in line as their mother watched from next to the old man.

"Can I see the horses?" the boy asked excitedly. "Please, Papa?"

"They're not ours, Mark," Thomas scolded. "You'll have to ask this gentleman."

Mark turned around, looking at Percy with wide eyes. "Please, Mister, can I see the horses?"

"Um, sure," Percy said, gesturing towards the horses.

Mark grinned widely. "Thank you, Mister!" His father picked him up and brought him to the black mare, who grazing quietly a few feet away. He placed Mark on the horse's back, holding onto his sides to keep the boy from falling off. The mare lifted her head as she felt a sudden weight on her back.

"What the—oh," she said as she saw what was happening. "You oughta tell me before hopping on my back," she said sternly.

Mark giggled. "Look, it's like she's talking!" He pet the mare's neck, running his hand down her mane. She grumbled at Mark's impertinence, but suffered his presence calmly.

Percy smiled at the boy's happiness as he sat on the mare, marveling at how tall he was. After a few minutes, Thomas picked up his son off of the horse, carrying him in his arms. He nodded at Percy respectfully before walking off to join the rest of his family. As they left, Mark looked at Percy over his father's shoulder, waving cheerfully. Percy waved back, smiling. Suddenly, he felt someone tap his shoulder softly. He turned around and saw Hestia, straining a bit as she stood on her toes to reach his shoulder.

"Can I ask you for something, dear?" she asked.

"What is it?"

Hestia gave him a determined look. "I know you're going to Devonport," she said.

Percy jumped a little in surprise. "How do you know about that?" he whispered.

"Aphrodite told me. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," she assured him. She looked at the family wistfully. "I just wanted to ask, would you allow us to come with you on the carriage?"

"Come…with us?" Percy repeated.

"I'm taking the Halls to Cornwall. You wouldn't have to change your path, just bring us along as far as you can. All of this running around in the forest isn't good for Grandfather, and I'm afraid the children won't be able to make it for much longer. I would greatly appreciate any help you can give us."

Percy frowned. "I don't know; we're already on a tight schedule."

"I'll still be accompanying you all," she said. "I'll take care of them, you can just worry about your quest."

"You're a goddess," he argued. "Can't you…summon a magic carriage or something?"

Hestia shook her head. "That's not how it works. Even if it was, using my godly powers would attract unwanted attention, especially when Olympus is so divided. Even the healing I did for you and Annabeth was risky. No, we have to use mortal methods for now."

He sighed. "I mean…I guess you can come." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn't want to drag along a family on their quest, but he didn't want to leave them alone, either.

Hestia grinned as she squeezed his hand. "Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate you doing this."

"Don't mention it," Percy said. Hestia ran off to tell the others as Percy went back to the fire. Annabeth was still sleeping peacefully, and Hestia had left a light cloak over her to act as a blanket.

Percy yawned as he sat down. Hestia's healing had left him feeling tired, though he hadn't been so injured as to fall asleep immediately like Annabeth. He stared at the fire in contemplation for a while, listening to Annabeth's soft breathing and to the playful cries of the children behind him.


	18. Routine Inspection

Percy must have dozed off, as he woke to someone gently shaking his shoulder. He opened his eyes, groaning slightly at the interruption. He raised his head and saw Thomas leaning over him.

"Wake up, we're leaving."

Percy rubbed his eyes, looking around. He was alone at the fire, with everyone else moving around the carriage as they prepared to leave. Above him, dark clouds were brewing, casting a shadow over the ground. A strong wind was blowing, causing the fire to flicker quickly.

"How long was I out?"

"Only an hour or two," Thomas replied. "Come, we have to be going before the storm hits." He grabbed Percy's hand and pulled him to his feet, walking next to him as they headed towards the carriage. "I want to thank you for letting us ride along with you. I hope we won't be a bother." He looked up at the sky. "I wouldn't want to walk in this weather."

"Don't mention it," Percy replied. They arrived at the carriage, where Annabeth was talking to Annie about something. Annabeth excused herself as she saw him approaching and pulled him away from Thomas.

"What's up?" he asked.

Annabeth looked worried as she spoke. "Why did you let them come with us? We're on a schedule, remember? We have to be in Devonport in a week, we can't be dragging along a family on the way. What if we're attacked? Who's going to protect them?"

"We couldn't leave them on their own," Percy said "They could get attacked, too."

"They have a _goddess_ to protect them!"

"She's the one who asked me!" Percy countered. "Hestia said she would handle the mortals herself. I don't know why she wanted our help."

Annabeth sighed, looking at the sky. "This weather isn't helping us any, either. Damn!" she cursed in frustration. "We already lost half a day because of the ipotanes. We can't miss that ship."

"I know. We'll make it in time," Percy reassured her. "We're going to get the sword back."

Annabeth shook her head, crossing her arms to shield her from the wind. "I hope you're right."

"As do I," Hestia said, walking up to them. Her shawl was rippling in the wind, and a few

brown strands of hair had escaped and were flying behind her.

"I thought you didn't take sides. Why do you want us to succeed?" Percy asked.

"Because I would hate for you to be killed because of my family's issues. The sword makes no

difference to me." She smiled at Annabeth. "I see you're doing better, dear."

Annabeth nodded. "Yes, my lady. Thank you for your help."

"I was happy to do it," Hestia replied kindly. She examined the sky, concerned. "This is bad," she said quietly. "This storm isn't natural."

"It isn't?" Percy asked, surprised.

Hestia nodded grimly. "I imagine someone's trying to stop you from getting to your destination. Be grateful Zeus isn't involved, or we'd have a lot more to deal with than wind." She sighed. "I'm afraid it's too late to make amends. I've sent fractions of myself to my family to try to appeal to them one last time."

"Fractions?" Percy repeated.

"Gods are able to divide their spirit into several forms at a time. While I'm down here, the majority of my essence is in Olympus, trying to calm things." She shuddered suddenly. "Ah. Ares just stabbed me." Hestia smiled at them warmly. "Anyways, we should be leaving now. Come, children."

Five hours later, they were well on their way. Annie, the old man, and the children were squished into the cab, the curtains opened so they could see outside. Hestia and Thomas were sitting on the back of the carriage, chatting amiably as the wind buffeted their clothes. Percy and Annabeth were next to each other on the driver's seat, with Grover above them admiring the view.

Percy held the reins loosely in his hands as they moved. The horses were resentful at traveling so soon after a tiring chase, but they had seemed to accept him as their new master after he had killed their previous one. He tried to go as fast as he could without overtaxing the horses.

The wind had increased, blowing Percy's hair into his face and obscuring his view. He lowered his head against the gale, trying to keep an eye on the road. The sky had turned a dark gray, hiding the sun completely and turning midday into late afternoon. There hadn't been any rain so far, though Percy suspected that that wouldn't last long.

"Someone made this storm to delay us?" Percy said, frustrated. "They're doing a damn good job."

"Don't underestimate the gods," Annabeth warned him. "I doubt whoever is doing this is using their full power. We're not that important to them."

"Then why are we risking our lives for them?" Percy grumbled, rubbing his eyes as dust flew into them. He turned around and looked at Grover. "Is everyone alright?" he called over the wind.

Grover nodded, glancing at Hestia and Thomas behind him. "Yeah. Annie said that the children are sleeping, and I don't smell any monsters near us."

"Good." Percy's relief was short-lived, however, as they approached a gate blocking the road. Next to the gate was a small wooden cabin, out of which a bored-looking man in a black jacket walked out. He signaled for Percy to stop, waiting by the side of the road. Percy pulled the horses in, stopping next to the man.

"What is this about?" he asked. He unclasped his necklace and held it in his hand, ready to pull Riptide out.

The man cleared his throat, examining the carriage. "This road is under the lease of the Caduceus Turnpike Trust. You'll have to pay the toll if you wish to continue."

Percy sighed. "Fine. How much?"

The man pointed to the cabin. "If you'll come with me, I need to ask you a few questions. It'll only take a few minutes."

Percy eyed the man, wary of going off alone. To his credit, the man gazed back at him with a dull look, eyes drooping.

From behind them, Thomas had climbed over the roof of the cab and was seated next to Grover. "What's happening? Why have we stopped?"

"There's a toll," Percy explained. "Grover, can you take care of everything while I'm gone?"

Grover nodded solemnly. "I got it."

"If I'm not back in thirty minutes, leave without me." Percy jumped from the driver's seat, nearly pushed over by the wind as he landed. Next to him, Annabeth jumped down as well.

"You don't need to bring anyone," the man said as if he didn't care either way. "I'll just deal with the driver, please."

"She's coming with me," Percy said. "She's my…co-driver."

The man raised his eyebrow, clearly not believing him. "Sure. Both of you, come with me." He started to walk towards the cabin, his greasy hair whipping in the breeze.

Percy and Annabeth followed, glancing back at the carriage in case this was a trap. The man pushed open the door to the cabin, and they entered behind him.

The toll keeper's office was dim, lit only by a window behind the desk. The desk was littered with various papers, stamps, and quills. The man sat down at his desk, offering them chairs across from him. As they sat, he pulled out a number of papers from a pile as well as a quill and an inkpot. The toll keeper scribbled something on the paper before looking up at Percy.

"How many people are traveling with you?"

Percy made a quick count in his head. "Nine."

He made a note on the paper. "Where was your point of origin?"

Percy blinked. "Does that matter?"

"It's standard procedure."

"London."

"And your destination?"

"Cornwall," Percy replied hesitantly.

The man made another note. "Can I see your certificate?"

"C-certificate?" Percy repeated nervously.

The man looked up from his paper derisively. "Your stagecoach certification. Who are we sending the bill to?"

"Well, you see-" Percy stammered, struggling to explain why they had a stolen carriage.

"There's no need for a bill," Annabeth interrupted. "We'll pay here, if that's alright."

The toll keeper sighed, crossing out something. "Fine." He looked at a chart that was laying on his desk. "For a stagecoach with four horses, that'll be one shilling and six pence."

Percy's eyes widened at the price. That was almost two days worth of wages for him. "Are you serious?"

"Can you not pay the toll?" The man asked. He sighed and began to reach for another stack of papers.

"We can pay," Annabeth reassured him, reaching into a pouch in her dress and pulling out a handful of coins. She counted out the amount needed and placed them on the desk, putting the rest back into the pouch. Percy was surprised at how much money she was carrying with her.

The man reached over and pulled the coins to him, counting them again, though slower than Annabeth had. With a satisfied grunt, he placed them into a leather bag.

"Everything seems to be in order. Just read this and sign at the bottom." He slid a paper towards Percy, along with a quill and ink. The heading of the paper was a picture of a stick with two snakes entwining it, and underneath it was a large block of text with a line at the bottom for his name.

Percy picked up the quill, holding it awkwardly between his fingers. He stared uncomprehendingly at the paper for a few seconds, unsure of what to do.

The toll keeper noticed his hesitation. "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's just, I can't…" He trailed off, embarrassed.

The man looked at him in confusion. "What's the matter?"

"Here." Annabeth took the quill from Percy, dipping it ink and signing her name fancifully at the bottom of the contract. She handed the paper to the toll keeper, who took it grudgingly. Annabeth stood up, and Percy followed her example. "If that's all, we'll take our ticket and leave now, please."

The toll keeper looked at the paper closely. "You're Annabeth Chase?" he asked.

"...Yes," she replied cautiously.

He shook his head, crossing out the contract with red ink. "Sorry, but I can't let you through. You're blacklisted."

"What? Why?" Annabeth asked, shocked.

The toll keeper shrugged. "I don't know; one of the higher-ups decided it. I just work here."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

He stood up, yawning. "Not much, I'd imagine."

"What do you mean?"

"I've also got orders to capture you," he said simply. He closed his eyes firmly, concentrating. As Percy watched, the man's eyes fused together and moved to his forehead, causing Percy to step back in alarm. He grew a couple of feet taller, gaining muscle quickly on his arms and legs.

The man blinked his one large eye quickly. "Ah, that feels better. I hate it when I have to go in disguise." His head was nearly scraping the ceiling as he examined them.

"You're a cyclops!" Annabeth exclaimed, pulling out her dagger.

"Yeah, I am. Did the one eye give it away?" he responded dryly. He reached into his desk and took out a large wooden club, holding it on his shoulder. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd surrender now, or else I'm going to mess up my office with blood."

Percy took out Riptide, pointing it at the cyclops. "We just want to pass by. There are children with us."

The cyclops snorted. "What do I want with children? I only need to capture you two, and the satyr." He wielded his club threateningly. "'Course, I could also kill you three if you don't come peacefully."

"Who told you to capture us?" Annabeth asked.

He shrugged. "Dunno; not my place to ask. Just got a letter about it from headquarters." He yawned again. "So are you surrendering, or not?"

"No!" Percy said defiantly.

The cyclops sighed, then swung his club at Percy's face over the desk, narrowly missing as Percy jumped back quickly. Percy tripped on his chair as he backed up, falling to the floor with a crash. As the scrambled to his feet, the cyclops walked around the desk to face them. He swung his club at Percy again, making Percy stumble into Annabeth as he evaded. He kicked their chairs at the cyclops, trying to make more space for them. The cyclops brought his club down on the chairs heavily, reducing them to kindling.

"Those were nice chairs!" the cyclops complained, stepping over the pieces. "Are you going to surrender now?"

"Stop saying that!" Percy shouted. He raised his sword, knocking over a vase accidentally. It broke as it hit the floor, spilling water everywhere. "There's not enough space in here! We need to get outside."

The cyclops approached them slowly, blocking the way to the door. "You're not getting out of here alive," he said in a bored tone. He swung his club again, smashing a bookcase on the wall.

Percy eyed the puddle on the floor. He remembered seeing his half-brother manipulating water at Camp Half-Blood and wondered if he could do the same. He brought his hand out experimentally, concentrating on the water.

"What're you doing?" the cyclops asked. His one eye narrowed in suspicion.

Just as Percy was afraid it wasn't going to work, he felt a pulling sensation deep inside of him, and the water flew up and splashed the cyclops in the face. He stepped back heavily, rubbing his eye.

"Go!" Annabeth yelled, pulling Percy from his shock. They ran around the blinded cyclops and ran out of the cabin, followed by the angry roars of the cyclops behind them. As they stepped outside, Percy heard shouting coming from the stagecoach. Another cyclops was currently attacking the carriage, wielding a large sword. Thomas was fighting the monster with a rusty sword while Grover played his pipes furiously. The child-sized form of Hestia was leaning against the carriage, bleeding a golden liquid from several cuts. She was surrounded by smoldering grass and a pile of monster dust.

Percy gasped as he saw what was happening. His attention was diverted by a loud wrenching sound from behind him, as the toll keeper ripped the door to the cabin off of its hinges and stepped out of his office. He was enraged, water dripping down his face.

"Get back here!" he roared, pointing his club at Percy. He ran at Percy, shouting. Percy raised Riptide to defend himself, knocking the cyclop's club aside. However, as he lifted Riptide again, the sword suddenly felt as if it was full of lead, becoming so heavy that he had to drop it or be pulled down to the ground. Shocked, Percy didn't notice that the cyclops was going for another blow until Annabeth cried out. He looked up to see the cyclops over him, grinning. He swung his club heavily, and it connected directly with Percy's torso with a sickening crack.


	19. Forward Progress

Percy was knocked off to the side by the blow, sending pebbles flying as he skid to a halt. His chest was in searing pain, and he grabbed the spot were the club had connected in pain.

The cyclops was examining his club, which was broken in two, held together by only a few splinters. Miraculously, the cracking sound had been the club breaking, not Percy's rib cage.

The cyclops ripped the hanging part of his club off in disgust, leaving the jagged end exposed. He approached Annabeth, stepping over Riptide carefully. Percy eyed his fallen sword, sidling out of the cyclops' admittedly limited eyesight.

The cyclops swung his club at Annabeth, hoping to slash her with the sharp end. He misjudged the length of his newly-shortened club, however, swiping the air in front of Annabeth harmlessly. The cyclops looked over his weapon in confusion for a second before throwing it to the side, replacing it by pulling out a small tree from the ground and wielding it as a spear. A sparrow flew from the tree as he grabbed it, chirping angrily.

While the cyclops was distracted, Percy ran in and picked up Riptide from the ground. It weighed the same as it normally did, making that occurrence before all the stranger. Percy ran at the cyclops, who was facing away from him, and swung Riptide, scoring a deep cut in the monster's back. The cyclops roared in pain, swiping with the tree as he turned around. Percy blocked the swing, cutting into the wood.

He glanced behind him, where Thomas was fending off the other cyclops with increasingly desperate blows. He called out to Annabeth as he blocked another hit. "I've got this one! Go help Grover!"

Annabeth clearly doubted his ability to handle the cyclops by himself, but she recognized that the safety of the mortals came first. She nodded grimly then ran towards the carriage.

The cyclops scowled as Annabeth escaped, but maintained his focus on Percy. "Are you surrendering now?" he asked, holding the tree by his side.

"No!" Percy said, going in while the cyclops wasn't defending himself. He stabbed the cyclops in the gut, jumping back as the monster retaliated with a heavy strike with the tree. Percy cut the monster again, circling as dust leaked from the cyclops' wounds and blew away in the wind.

Enraged, the cyclops threw the tree at Percy, bellowing. Percy was hit by a wall of leaves and branches, blinding him momentarily. As his vision cleared, he saw the cyclops charging at him, arms raised. Percy quickly dodged the monster's heavy fist, running behind him.

The cyclops looked around in confusion, wondering where Percy had gone. Before he could turn around, Percy drove his sword through the cyclops' back. The toll keeper examined the sword end sticking out of his stomach before crumpling to his knees, dissolving quickly.

"No…fair," the cyclops muttered before disappearing completely.

Percy took his sword back, wiping the dust off of it. He ran to the carriage, where Annabeth had joined Thomas in fighting the other cyclops. As he approached, he saw Thomas swing his rusty sword through the monster's arm, cutting it off at the shoulder. Blood poured out of the wound as the cyclops died, his one eye wide in surprise.

"Nice one!" Percy said, patting Thomas on the back.

Thomas gave him a queasy look, letting the sword drop from his hand. "I killed him…oh, Christ." He covered his mouth, looking as shocked as the one-armed cyclops had been.

"Are you alright?" Percy asked, concerned.

Thomas nodded slowly. "Y-yeah. I think so. God…" He examined the blood on his clothes in horror. "I think I need a minute."

Understanding, Percy left him alone and approached Hestia, who was still leaning against the cab. Grover was cleaning her wounds while Annabeth stood over them.

"What happened?" she asked.

"They took us by surprise," Grover explained. "She managed to blast one of them, but they got a few good hits in before that."

"How? Isn't she a goddess?" Percy asked.

Hestia stirred, looking at Percy with unfocused eyes. "Fractions," she whispered. "I appear to have underestimated how much of my godly power I would need for this trip." She slowly pushed Grover's hands away. "Thank you, dear, but that won't be necessary." She closed her eyes, thinking. As she concentrated, her body began to emit a low orange light.

Grover stepped away from her, hands up in surprise. As Percy watched, Hestia's wounds began to close. Soon she was fully healed, the only remnants of her injuries being the golden blood that stained her clothes.

Hestia stood up, cracking her joints. "There. All better." She gave them a wan smile.

"Apologies, children, but I'm afraid I'm not very used to fighting. I'll try to be a little more help next time."

"You were very helpful, my lady," Grover assured her.

"As were you," she said calmly. She looked around them. "Is everyone safe?"

"Annie hid with the children when we saw the cyclopes; they're fine. Thomas isn't injured, though…" Grover looked at the man, who was still standing over the cyclops remains in horror.

Hestia sighed. "He thinks he killed a man. Of course he's shaken up."

Percy looked at her, surprised. "What do you mean? He didn't see the cyclops?"

"It's called the Mist," Annabeth explained. "It…hides the stranger parts of our world from the mortals. They wouldn't be able to handle it otherwise. Most likely, Thomas thought that the cyclops was just a really big bandit."

Thomas glanced at them, starting when he realized that they were all staring back at him. He gave an awkward wave, then started to walk towards the rest of his family, who were emerging from behind the carriage. He embraced his wife tightly, relieved.

Percy smiled to see the reunion. He turned to his friends. "If everyone's fine, we should keep going. We still have a few hours of daylight."

After getting everyone situated back on the carriage and cutting through the lock on the gate with Riptide, Percy led the horses down the road again. This time, he had his sword by his side at all times as he examined the path ahead tensely. The wind had subsided a bit, though it was still strong enough to be an annoyance.

Thomas was considerably more somber, sitting quietly next to Hestia as he examined the countryside. He had changed his clothes, and simply nodded while Hestia spoke to him calmingly.

The sky, already grayed by the storm, began to darken as night fell. The wind started to bite as it cooled, and Percy could see lights shining from the windows of small homesteads along the road.

As they moved, the older stallion turned his head to look at Percy. He was breathing heavily and was walking more slowly than before. "Hey, kid, we gotta stop. We're all tired; we can't go much further." The other three horses snorted in agreement.

"Alright," Percy said, nodding. After a few minutes, he pulled the carriage to the side of the road, stopping next to a small brook.

Annabeth, who had been idly watching the countryside roll past, started as she realized that they weren't moving. "We're stopping?"

"The horses are tired," Percy explained, letting go of the reins. "We'll have to stop here for the night."

Annabeth didn't look pleased that they were losing time, but hopped down from the driver's seat. Percy unharnessed the horses and led them to the stream as everyone exited the carriage.

"Thank you," the stallion said as he drank deeply from the brook. "Ah, I haven't worked this hard in years. My knees aren't what they used to be."

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to travel like this for a while," Percy said. "We've got to get to Devonport soon."

The stallion grumbled, taking another gulp of water. The black mare walked up to Percy, gently nudging his shoulder. "Don't mind him. We'll get ya where you need to go."

Percy ran his hand across the horse's back. "I appreciate all you've done for us. I promise you, when this is over, I'll make it up to all of you."

"You better." The stallion shook his head quickly, snorting. After all of the horses had drank their fill, Percy led them back to the carriage and tied them to a fencepost that had been staked by the side of the road. He let them graze and rest as he joined the rest of the group, who were setting up a makeshift camp next to the carriage. Hestia had provided another fire, which was crackling merrily as it illuminated the camp. A small supper had been prepared, and Annie handed Percy a bowl of stew as he sat down to join them.

Once everyone had settled in, they said grace to begin the meal. Percy noticed that the Halls' prayer was longer than his, and he sat in silence for a few seconds as he waited for them to finish. Annabeth and Grover poured some of their food onto the fire as they murmured some words of thanks to the gods, granting them odd looks from the family. Percy wolfed down his food, as did everyone else after such a tiring day. Hestia, who apparently didn't need to eat, sat and watched them with a calm smile.

When everyone had eaten, the group dispersed to get ready to sleep. The grass was soft enough to sleep on, and everyone soon claimed an area of land for their bed. Annie put the children to sleep quickly, so tired they were from the day's excitement. The old man was given a particularly soft piece of ground, his cane placed beside him as he snored loudly. Grover laid down near the fire, idly chewing on the grass around him as he closed his eyes. Hestia, who didn't need to sleep either, opted to lay on the roof of the carriage and look at the stars, which she said reminded her of Olympus.

At the edge of the firelight, Thomas was speaking to his wife soberly, holding her hand as he talked. He looked troubled, glancing behind him to his sleeping children. Annie said something to him tenderly, holding his face in her hand. They embraced for a while, then separated and began to get ready to sleep next to their children.

Percy sat against the large back wheel of the carriage, letting the warmth of the fire cover him as he got ready to fall asleep. He was just closing his eyes when Annabeth walked up to him, holding a leather bag. She sat next to him, speaking quietly.

"You can't read." She said this as more of a statement than a question.

"I…no, I can't," Percy responded, embarrassed. "I never learned."

She nodded, reaching into her bag and pulling out a leather-bound book and a complete writing kit. "Then I'm going to teach you."

"What? No, you don't have to do that!" Percy stammered.

Annabeth shushed him. "I do. As a child of Athena, I can't let one of my companions stay illiterate." She passed the book to him. "Here. I had Hestia get this for me."

Percy glanced at the top of the carriage, scowling. He opened the book, which was full of fanciful illustrations and long paragraphs of text. He stopped at a full-page picture of a man looking over a miniature city full of tiny people. "This is for children," he said doubtfully.

"It is," she conceded. "But it's for everyone, really, and I thought it would be a good place to start for you." She closed the book and pointed to the title. "It's called _Gulliver's Travels_. It's very popular, and it has some good points, I think."

Percy vaguely remembered hearing the title before in passing conversation, though he didn't know anything about the book itself. He examined the cover, which showed the same man being tied down by the tiny people.

Annabeth took the book back, pulling out a sheet of parchment and writing something using the book as a surface. "We won't be reading that tonight. I was thinking we would just start with the alphabet and some basic words." She handed the parchment to him, on which she had written a line of symbols and some words. "Look, there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet." She pointed to a circle with a bit at the end. "This is an 'a.' It makes an 'ah' sound. Say 'ah.'"

Percy looked at her, even more embarrassed. "This is ridiculous-"

"Say it," she said firmly. "You need to learn this."

"Ah," he repeated meekly.

She nodded, then pointed to a circle with a different bit at the top. "This is a 'b.'"

They labored through the entire alphabet, with Percy mixing up letters constantly. Annabeth told him that it was more difficult for demigods to read than most people, as they were born accustomed to ancient Greek script rather than English. Annabeth wrote his name at the top of the parchment, and they spent a few minutes sounding it out and piecing together the word. By the end of the lesson, Percy was able to identify most of the letters and their sounds, and even read some simple words, albeit painfully slowly and with Annabeth's help. To finish the lesson, Percy wrote his name in sloppy characters next to where Annabeth had written it. His writing looked terrible next to Annabeth's clean script, but he still felt immensely proud of himself as he examined his work.

Annabeth smiled at him as she put away her materials. "Good job. We made some real progress tonight." She rolled the parchment and handed it to him. "I want you to practice this until you know all of the letters. We'll do this again tomorrow, and every day if we can until you're able to read and write."

Percy shook his head, astonished. "Thank you. This is…" He raised the parchment. "This is amazing."

She smiled again. "You'll have to work hard on this," she warned. "Reading is difficult, but it's worth it in the end."

"I'll try my best."

Annabeth stood up, brushing dirt off of her dress. "Good. Now get some sleep; we leave at sunrise."

"Of course." Percy readjusted himself against the wheel as Annabeth walked off to her own patch of grass. The fire was burning low, casting a yellow glow as he closed his eyes. "A," he mumbled quietly. "B, C…" He got halfway through the alphabet before sleep took a hold of him.


	20. Family Ties

Percy opened his eyes quickly, searching around him rapidly. He was standing in the middle of a large pavilion, similar to the dining hall at camp. The building he was in, however, was easily three times as large as the hall, and was clear of any furniture. Percy looked outside of the pavilion, and was shocked to discover that he was underwater. The windows were a wall of light blue, and pale sand extended in every direction. A large sandstone castle was placed on a hill a few miles away, lights glowing from its many windows.

Percy stepped forward cautiously, unsure of what had happened. He unlatched his necklace, noticing that the seashell was now brightly colored and beautifully ornamented. He wielded Riptide defensively as he moved carefully forward.

"Hello?" he called out warily. "Is anyone here?" A stingray floated above him, uncaring of his predicament.

"Percy." A kind voice sounded from behind him, making Percy whirl around in surprise. The man in front of him was wearing a deep-blue navy uniform with golden trimming and several medals along his lapel. His tricorn was imprinted with the picture of a golden trident and was lined with shining seashells. Percy had seen his outfit on high-ranking naval officers when they had landed at London, though most of them hadn't looked half as imposing as this man.

The man looked at Percy fondly, smiling as he stepped towards him. Percy raised his sword as he approached. "Who are you?"

The man looked genuinely hurt at Percy's response. "There's no need for that. You're safe, I promise. Look." He moved to grab Percy's shoulder, but his hand went through it as if Percy wasn't there. "You're only dreaming. I just wanted to speak to you."

"Who are you?" Percy asked again. "What's happening?"

He looked suddenly embarrassed. "Well, that's a bit…" He raised his arms welcomingly. "Hello, son."

Percy remained still, face slack. "You're…Poseidon?" Now that he thought of it, the man in front of him had the same eyes as Percy, as well as the same black hair. "My father."

Poseidon chuckled uneasily. "Surprise."

Percy reached forward and attempted to punch Poseidon in the face. His fist passed through the god, however, and he stumbled through Poseidon.

Poseidon turned to face him. "I suppose I deserved that."

"Where the hell were you?" Percy growled. "All these years, and you decide to show up now?"

Poseidon raised his hands placatingly. "I understand you're upset. Of course you are-"

"Damn right I'm upset! You left us, alone! You let Ma stay with…with-" He spluttered to a stop, too angry to form coherent sentences. "And her hand! You…"

"I was truly sorry to hear about your mother-"

"Oh, you're _sorry_! Well, that just solves everything, doesn't it!"

Poseidon sighed, looking down at the floor. "I know you have no reason to forgive me. And I don't expect you to. I just wanted to speak with you, to explain what happened."

Percy crossed his arms, furious. "Explain."

Poseidon sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sally—your mother—she was…wonderful. I was in New York for some naval inspections, and I saw her, and…" He shrugged, smiling wistfully. "I fell. Hard. What can I say? The gods can have…mortal tendencies at times." He cleared his throat awkwardly, adjusting his hat. "And a while later, you were born. And I was so happy."

"Then why didn't you stay? Why did you leave?"

"The gods are tied to the location of Olympus, which has been in London for a while now. I can't stay in the colonies for longer than a few months at a time: I get _pulled_ back. I didn't want to leave you, or your mother-"

"But she moved to London when I was born, because everyone had abandoned her for conceiving a bastard child. We were right here, hoping you would come back to us, but you never came!"

Poseidon opened his mouth as if to argue back, but closed it again. Percy continued ranting, waving his arms wildly. "And the Poseidon cabin at camp! You have over a dozen illegitimate children that you've abandoned! Did all of them get an apology dream?"

His father gave him a wounded look. "I know there is no defending what I've done. You have every right to despise me. I only wanted you to know the whole truth."

Poseidon's pitiful expression softened the edges of Percy's anger, but he was still fuming. "Well. You've said what you wanted to say. Can I leave now?"

"Not yet." Poseidon made a sour face, as if he was dreading what he was about to say. "It's about your quest."

"What about it?"

"Well, first of all, I want to say that I am _so_ proud of you. That fight with Eurynomos? That was brilliant! You're a natural! Your plan for the Ceramici may not have been your best work, but you held your ground, and it worked out in the end."

"You've been watching me the whole time?" Percy was shocked. He remembered his personal conversation in Aphrodite's temple and felt his face heat up.

"Of course! What you've done, it's incredible! And with no training, either!" Poseidon was grinning broadly, enthused by his son's success. "You've been putting my sword to good use."

" _Your_ sword?" Percy looked at Riptide in surprise.

"Yes, my sword. I apologize about the misunderstanding with that girl—Mary? I would have preferred to give it to you myself, but you can understand why I couldn't just show up to your front door."

" _You_ gave her the sword," Percy said softly. Mary had said she was handed the sword by a strange man in a suit, but he never thought…

"I wanted to give you something, just a small start in repaying my debt to you. And I obviously chose correctly." He smiled at Percy.

Percy felt proud of his father's praise, but Poseidon looked as if he had something else to say. "Is that all?"

Poseidon's smile melted away. "No. There's something I need to ask of you." He took off his tricorn, holding it in his hands. Underneath, his hair was as messy as Percy's. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I know you are trying to bring the sword to the colonists. Athena, for some reason, has taken a liking to the revolutionaries, enough to support their independence. Personally, I believe it would be in the best interest of everyone if the situation was…resolved in an agreeable manner."

"You want the Americans to lose," Percy said flatly.

"What I want is for both parties to reconcile their differences in a way that leaves everyone happy. Just because the king is a bit…out there doesn't mean we should throw away centuries of cooperation and trust." He smiled, a bit proud of himself. "Now, I don't know if you've noticed, but the British are pretty good at the whole naval business. I have considerable clout in the government, and I can promise lenient treatment towards the colonies if they return to the fold. All I want you to do is ensure that the sword finds its way into the hands of the British when it gets to the colonies."

"You want me to betray my friends?"

"Of course not! I just want you to…divert the outcome of your quest. I promise you, I will protect all of you from Athena's anger. You have my word on that."

"And why would I help you?"

"I understand that I have done nothing to warrant your assistance. If you won't do it for me, do it for your country. Think of the suffering and death that would come from a prolonged war. If the British get the sword, this affair will be over with minimal casualties. Believe me, the other gods are not as concerned with the lives of mortals." Poseidon stepped forward, and Percy jolted as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I know I have not been as good a father as I should have. If you do this for me, I'll…I'll make an effort to remedy that."

"And what, we'll be a happy family?" Percy asked harshly. "I shouldn't have to earn your love." He pointed at Poseidon angrily. "Is that why you chose me to go on this quest? So I'd be your spy?"

"I wouldn't call it that-"

"The first time you've talked to me in my life, and it's because you want something. You don't give a damn about me, do you?"

"Percy-"

"You know, I'm sure Athena would _love_ to know what you're planning. What's stopping me from going straight to her and telling her what you're up to?"

"Because I am your _father_ , and you will do as I say!" A sudden rage took Poseidon as he roared this, pointing back at him. Beneath Percy's feet, he felt the ground shake slightly. "I have been _trying_ to treat you as an equal, but at some point I _demand_ respect. I am a _god_ , Percy. You will not speak to me in such a manner."

"Or what?" Percy spat. "You need me for the sword: you can't do anything to me."

Poseidon roared in frustration, causing another tremor in the earth. "You…" He held his forehead, shaking his head. "By Olympus, you're as stubborn as I am."

Percy remained silent, unsure of how to respond. Poseidon calmed down quickly, though he was still breathing heavily.

"Listen to me. All I ask is that you think about it."

Percy crossed his arms. "Fine; I'll think about it. Can I go back to my friends now?"

Poseidon gave him a sad look, but nodded. "Of course. It was a great pleasure to speak to you." He stepped back slowly.

"By the way, Aphrodite says hello."

Poseidon rubbed his arm, suddenly embarrassed. "Ah. You…saw her." He coughed nervously. "She…we…" He cleared his throat. "Anyways, goodbye!"

Percy blinked, and the pavilion dissolved around him into blue-green swirls. He felt himself floating in mid-air for a few seconds before he was forced back into his body, slamming against the wheel of the stagecoach as he woke up. He stood up, rubbing his head ruefully. The camp was still sleeping, the fire now merely a wisp of smoke rising from the ashes. The first tinges of dawn were touching the sky, giving Percy a small amount of light to see with.

"How was it?"

Percy looked back to see Hestia peering over the roof of the carriage, gazing at him calmly. She seemed as alert as she always was, jumping down to talk to him.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked cautiously.

"Your dream. You spoke with your father, didn't you?"

"How did you-"

"I can sense his presence on you." She cocked her head. "You're troubled."

Percy sighed. "Maybe. I don't know."

"You can tell me." Hestia looked at him warmly.

He thought for a second, then shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's private. Maybe some other time."

Hestia nodded, understanding. "Of course; I would hate to impose." She took his hand in both of her own. "Just some advice: you cannot change the past, but the future remains open. As much as your father has hurt you, you are still kin. There is still time to make up for past mistakes."

"Sure," Percy grumbled. Hestia smiled sadly, squeezing his hand slightly.

"It is a new day. Oh, I have something for you!" She reached for the top of the carriage, struggling due to her height. Feeling strange, Percy grabbed her by the torso and lifted Hestia up to give her access to the roof. "Oh, thank you." She presented him with a plain brown coat. "Here, I made this while I was waiting up there. You look silly with just your undershirt."

Percy examined the coat: it was simple, but obviously well-made. "You…made this? Thank you." He had felt strange walking around after Vervain had taken his coat.

Hestia nodded. "Now, ready the horses; I will wake everyone." Hestia separated from him, walking through the camp with an ethereal grace.

Percy walked over to the slumbering horses, who were none too pleased at being awoken so early. The older stallion grumbled as Percy led them to the brook to have another drink, complaining that his knees were still sore after being overused the previous day.

While the horses drank, Percy examined the stream carefully. After throwing the puddle into the cyclops' face, he had become intrigued by his ability to manipulate water. He raised his hand experimentally, focusing on the moving water before him. After straining for a few minutes and undoubtedly looking fairly strange, he felt the same pulling sensation in his chest. As he watched, the flow of the water slowed down and eventually stopped, as if an invisible wall was blocking the brook. More water pushed against his barrier as the small stream threatened to rise above its banks, and the horses looked at him in annoyance at cutting off their supply. After a few seconds, the force of the water became unbearable, and Percy was forced to let the brook continue its course.

Percy examined his hands, surprised at the amount of energy it had taken to stop the small stream. He was sweating profusely, and a small headache was pulsing in his skull. His apparent magic had shocked him as well, unused to the practice of witchcraft that had been reviled throughout his life. He slowly turned away from the brook, sitting on a large rock until the horses had finished drinking.

After they had finished, Percy led the horses back to camp, where he saw a few people stirring from their slumber. He harnessed the horses to the stagecoach, still fairly exerted from his magical experiment. As everyone got ready to set out, he took out the parchment Annabeth had given him the previous night and looked over it, mouthing the letters and their sounds as he pointed to them on the paper.

Once everyone was ready and had boarded the carriage, Percy took the reins and brought the stagecoach into motion, driving back onto the main road. Worried about the health of his horses, Percy took a slower pace than he had the day before, though he still tried to go as fast as the urgency of the situation allowed. They had rode for an hour or so when Percy heard a loud scream from the cab behind him.

Percy immediately pulled the horses to a stop when he heard the sound, eyes wide. He jumped from the driver's seat and raced around the cab, where he saw Annie kneeling on the ground, clutching Mark to her breast. The child was deathly pale and blood was dripping from his mouth. Large lumps had appeared on his neck, and black spots were running down his arms.

"It's the Great Plague!" Annie wailed. "Oh, my son!"

By this time, everyone had arrived, gasping at the disease. Thomas fell to his knees, the blood running from his face. He prayed quietly as he ran his hand through Mark's hair. Mark's grandfather was holding the other children back, who were watching wide-eyed, not fully understanding what was happening.

"Get away from him, both of you! He's contagious!" Annabeth pushed through, shouting. The couple ignored her, deaf to the world.

Percy's eyes were wide from shock. The Plague was fast-acting: he had heard of people going to sleep perfectly healthy and being dead by morning from the disease. Though he didn't know how Mark had caught the disease so quickly, he could see that the boy wasn't long from this world.

Suddenly, he felt a searing pain in his head, causing him to stumble backwards. For a second, he was terrified that he had caught the Plague as well. Then he heard a booming voice in his brain, one that he recognized as Athena's: DO NOT CROSS ME.

The pain left him as quickly as the voice did, leaving him dazed and confused. No one else had noticed his episode, so focused were they on Mark. Hestia brushed past him, nearly sliding as she rushed over to the child's side. She held her hands over Mark, her face scrunched in concentration. A warm glow emanated from her hands as she worked, sweat dripping down her face. She gasped in exhaustion, eyes glowing bright amber.

"This isn't a normal sickness," she said, breathing heavily. "He's cursed."

"God is punishing us!" Annie cried out. She grabbed her son tighter, rocking back and forth.

"Can you break the curse?" Annabeth asked urgently.

Hestia gave her a stricken look, then went back to her work silently. As she attempted to heal Mark, the glow around her hands began to increase, until her entire body was encased in a shining inferno of orange light. Neither Annie nor Thomas seemed to notice Hestia's efforts, focusing on their son.

After an interminable amount of time, Hestia sat back from Mark, wiping sweat from her brow. "There. He should be stable for now." Below her, her patient was still ghastly pale, though the lumps on his neck had receded and his breathing was noticeably easier.

Annie raised her head, seeing what Hestia had done. "What did you…how…" Her eyes became slightly unfocused as she struggled to comprehend what had happened.

"Shh." Hestia brought her hand to the woman's face. "He's fine. Everything is fine. Be at peace."

Still slightly confused, Annie nodded slowly. She brought Mark closer to herself. "My boy. Mommy's here." She was clutching her son tightly, strong enough that he was giving weak protestations of pain. Thomas put a hand on his wife's shoulder, visibly shaken.

Hestia stood up, looking very agitated. She gestured for Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, who had been watching the ordeal in shock, to step away with her.

"There was powerful magic on that boy," Hestia said anxiously. " _Very_ powerful."

"How did this happen?" Grover asked. "Who curses a child?"

Hestia paused for a second. "Athena. Her energy is all over Mark." Annabeth gasped slightly as she heard this. "Athena has sent plagues before; I just don't know why she would do this."

"So what should we do?" Percy asked.

Hestia gave him a knowing look. "The boy is fine for now, but I wasn't able to dispel the sickness entirely. We'll need some outside help."

Percy turned to Annabeth. "Can you give him some of that food that you gave me? The…ambrosia?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Ambrosia only works on demigods. If a mortal ate it, they'd disintegrate into ashes."

He nodded. "That would be bad."

Annabeth sighed in frustration, looking very agitated. "Who do we need to find?" she asked Hestia.

Hestia frowned, concerned. "Mark needs a powerful healer to break the curse. Fortunately, I know of one near here."


	21. The Asclepeion

"Where is this healer?"

Hestia looked around them, examining the flat countryside. "Last time I checked, he wasn't too far from here. We should head out now: I don't know how long Mark's condition will stay stable." She walked briskly towards the family, who were examining Mark's newfound health with a mixture of wonder and confusion. Hestia went into a whispered conversation with Annie, speaking kindly and softly.

Percy looked back at his companions, baffled by this turn of events. Annabeth was thinking heavily, staring off into the distance as she contemplated the situation. Grover was looking at the family with pity, his brow furrowed.

"What do you think?" Percy asked Annabeth.

Annabeth shook her head. "Too many distractions." She sighed. "I guess the only thing we can do is bring Mark to this healer. Hopefully it won't take too long, and we'll be back on the road soon."

It took a while to get everyone back onto the stagecoach, but eventually they were back on their way. Mark was laying in his father's lap on the top of the carriage, swathed in blankets as he moaned piteously, still in obvious pain. Hestia had taken the seat next to Percy, pointing out the path to take towards the healer.

Hestia was gazing calmly at the passing countryside, idly swinging her legs as she sat. "I can sense Athena's presence on you," she said suddenly. Her voice was as neutral as always. "Why is that, Percy?"

Percy was so startled by the sudden conversation and Hestia's question that he nearly ran the stagecoach off of the road. "W-what?"

Hestia slowly cast her gaze onto Percy. "Athena did something to both you and Mark. Obviously, you haven't caught the Great Plague. So, what _did_ she do?"

"Ah…" Percy stammered. He thought he had a good idea of what Athena had done, but he didn't want to explain it all to Hestia.

"I can only assume it has something to do with your conversation with your father," Hestia continued calmly. "Those two were always at each other's throats." She shook her head sadly. "It's a shame. After that whole affair with Athens, they never truly resolved their differences." She fixed Percy with a piercing gaze. "What did you talk about with Poseidon?"

Percy glanced at her, trying to pay attention to the road ahead. "It's…a long story."

"We've a ways to go before our destination," Hestia rebutted. "And I have all of the time in the world."

Percy sighed, defeated. "Alright." He recounted his talk with Poseidon, specifically about his father's instructions for him. As he spoke, Hestia nodded along silently, still swinging her legs as she listened. "And I guess Athena heard about what he said to me, and cursed Mark to make an example."

Hestia was silent for a moment. "You poor boy," she said sadly. "All of this weight, to fall on your shoulders." She looked at the road ahead of them. "You have a tough decision: betray your friends, or betray your family. I would not wish that choice upon anyone. But that does make Athena's actions more…understandable. She would do much to let the colonies succeed, if only out of pride."

"So, what should I do?"

Hestia looked at him sadly. "That is for you to decide, and you alone. I cannot help you in this regard, Percy Jackson." She pointed to the left fork in the road. "Take that turn."

After another two hours, Percy stopped the carriage in front of a large building in the middle of a small town. The building was austere-looking, with white walls and large pillars holding up the upper levels. Its many windows loomed above the comparatively smaller buildings on either side it.

"This is the place?" Percy asked.

Hestia nodded. "Yes. Now, we should bring in Mark quickly: I doubt the ride was very good for his condition."

Percy hopped off of the carriage and began to tie the stagecoach to a post that was placed in the front of the building. The few passersby that were on the street gave odd looks to the decorated city carriage on their road, especially when Thomas walked out with a dying child in his arms.

Mark's condition had indeed gotten worse, and the work Hestia had done to heal the child was all but undone, as the lumps on his neck grew in size and more dots ran down his arms. Seeing the boy's illness, the people on the street gave them a wide berth, wary of catching the Plague. Many made the sign of the Cross as they passed, muttering a prayer to keep themselves healthy.

As Percy stepped towards the front door of the building, he noticed a picture of a stick with a single snake entwined around it carved into the wall. It was very similar to the emblem that had been on the cyclops toll keeper's paperwork, a fact which caused Percy to become increasingly wary of this place.

Annabeth stepped next to Percy, examining the building shrewdly. "It's a hospital," she said, mildly surprised. "I've only ever heard of hospitals in major cities like London. Certainly not in a small town like this."

"That's because, officially, there is no hospital here," Hestia said, craning her neck to look at the hospital. "All the mortals see is an empty plot of land that's suspiciously been unoccupied for two hundred years."

Stepping onto the street, Thomas looked around him worriedly, holding Mark in his arms. "Where is this physician of yours?" he asked anxiously. "I don't see anything here."

Percy raised an eyebrow, impressed that someone could hide a building as large as this one.

Hestia approached Thomas, smiling. "I'm so very sorry, but I'm afraid we're going to have to bring Mark in by ourselves. You'll have to wait here."

Thomas narrowed his eyes, bringing his son closer to his chest. Annie gasped, grabbing her son's arm. "What are you talking about? I can't leave Mark alone: he needs me. It could take weeks for him to recover."

"Or he could die tonight," Hestia said tersely. "As I said, I'm very sorry, but if Mark is going to receive the proper treatment, he'll have to come with us. Alone."

Thomas eyed Hestia for a few moments, struggling to figure out what to do. With a sigh, he reached over and placed Mark in Hestia's arms. "I don't understand what this is all about, but…" He closed his eyes tightly and gave out a long breath. "I trust you. You better bring him back safe and sound."

Hestia nodded solemnly. "You have my word." She looked very strange carrying Mark in her arms, considering that he was almost as tall as she was, but she held him with no apparent difficulty. Hestia turned around and started walking towards the entrance of the hospital. "Come along, children."

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover followed Hestia as she walked. Percy glanced behind him and saw Thomas and Annie holding each other, watching in fear as their child was led away.

"Who is this healer?" Percy asked as they walked.

"Asclepius," Hestia responded, not breaking stride. "The god of medicine." She reached up and rapped on the front door smartly, impressively holding Mark with one hand. After a few seconds, the door swung open, revealing a handsome young man in a dark coat.

"Welcome to the _asclepeion_ ," he said with a slight French accent. His eyes fell on Mark. "Oh, you have a patient. Please, come in." He backed out of the door, letting them enter.

They walked into the building, Hestia leading. As Percy stepped onto the premises, he was immediately hit with the smell of lye, so powerful that his eyes began to water. Next to him, Grover covered his nose with his hand, retching slightly at the strength of the smell.

"I know the smell can take some getting used to at first," the man said. "It's unfortunate, but that's the price we have to pay for cleanliness. I promise, it becomes bearable eventually."

Once Percy's eyes had cleared, he looked around them. They appeared to be in the foyer of a hospital, with long hallways in both directions lined with beds. Nurses walked down the halls, carrying plates of food and administering medicine to the patients. The beds were separated by white curtains, so Percy couldn't see the patients.

The man turned around and examined them, smirking slightly. "And what do we have here? A goddess, two demigods, a satyr, and a dying mortal. Quite the cast of characters."

"Are you Asclepius?" Annabeth asked.

The man put a hand to his chest, chuckling. "No, but I'm flattered you would think so. My name is William." He gave a refined bow. "I merely assist Sir Asclepius with his work." He smiled at Annabeth slyly. "But the real question, my dear, is who are _you_?" He kneeled slightly and took Annabeth's hand, giving it a genteel kiss. "It is not often I see such beauty in this place of death."

Annabeth's eyes widened at the man's actions. She let her hand stay in the air for a while, her face bright red. "Ah…" She giggled nervously.

Hestia cleared her throat loudly to get their attention, lifting Mark slightly. "It is a…pleasure to meet you, Mister William, but I'm afraid this boy needs immediate medical attention. Can you please bring us to Asclepius?"

William nodded, seemingly unaware of the tension his advances had caused. "Of course, Lady Hestia. If you'll follow me right this way." He turned smartly on his heels and began to walk down the left hall, not looking back to see if they were actually following.

Percy furrowed his brow as he walked, unnerved by William's attitude towards Annabeth. The man must have no sense of propriety, coming on to her like that so soon after meeting her. He eyed the man's back suspiciously, immediately distrusting him.

As they walked down the hall, Percy could see into the beds of the patients as he passed. He saw a number of patients with cholera, their skin bluish and wrinkled. One man was wrapped in bandages, his arm and the lower part of his leg missing.

Most of the patients, however, were not like anything Percy had ever seen before. He saw a centaur in a specially-made bed, his coughs sounding like the bray of a horse. A small dryad was holding onto a withering rose, watching sadly as a petal fell to the dirt in the pot. A satyr walked by them on crutches, nodding respectfully at Grover as he passed.

Percy stepped forward and felt something moving underneath his foot. He immediately jumped back, watching in fear as a large snake hissed angrily and slithered under a patient's bed.

"There's a snake!" he said, worried that one of the patients was about to be killed.

William raised his hand, not looking back. "That's just Jack. Don't worry, he's not venomous. He helps with the patients."

Now that he looked, Percy saw a number of snakes moving around the sick bay, navigating through bed posts and nurses. A cyclops was petting a small green snake's head soothingly as he sat up in bed.

Percy followed the rest of the group through the hall until they came to a large oak door with a bronze label nailed to it. Without preamble, William opened the door and stepped inside, motioning for them to follow him.

The room appeared to be a laboratory of some description, with large glass vials and jars sitting on shelves on the walls and a huge bookshelf filled with thick volumes. Sharp-looking surgery tools were hung on the wall, with small lettering underneath them to describe their name and function. A large window in the back lit the room brightly, showing a large courtyard below. The smell of lye was fainter in here, though it was still overpowering.

As they walked in, a tall man who was standing in front of a complicated series of tubes and distilleries motioned for them to wait. He carefully lifted a steaming pot of some liquid and poured it into the tubes, watching intently as the fluid swirled around and entered a number of vials and chambers. Eventually, he pulled out a small vial from the end of the network, bringing it up to the light to examine it.

"Oh, William, you're here; good! I think I've done it!" he said, his voice muffled. He turned around quickly, holding the vial out in front of him. The man was wearing a heavy black coat, and on his face was a dark mask that resembled a large beak sticking out of his head. He straightened as he realized that he had visitors. The man examined them through the thick goggles on his mask. "Hello!"

"Asclepius." Hestia stepped forward, smiling warmly.

Asclepius took off his mask, revealing a kindly-looking man with streaks of white hair. "Hestia! How good to see you!" He put the mask on the table and picked up a polished black cane with his free hand. As he walked, he lifted the strange vial, showing it to Hestia. "Look at this! I've created a superior form of inoculation!" He pointed to the vial as if it was supposed to do something. "If I use the cowpox virus instead, the risks disappear! This could save millions!" As he approached, William walked towards Asclepius' apparatus and started to clean it up, blowing out flames and clearing used flasks.

"That's amazing!" Hestia said, grinning. "But I'm afraid we didn't come here for inoculations." She glanced at Mark in her arms.

Asclepius gasped as if he hadn't noticed the boy before. "Oh, my." He very delicately placed the vial onto a wooden rack on a table. He pulled back the blankets, examining Mark's condition. "This isn't normal Plague," he said, frowning.

"No, it isn't," Hestia said, shaking her head. "He was cursed. By Athena."

Asclepius' eyes widened, and his lips curved slightly upwards. "A challenge." He took Mark from Hestia, holding the child precariously under one arm. "William! Prepare the operating table!" William looked up from pouring the contents of a flask into a bucket. "Oh, have you met William?"

"We have," Percy said dryly.

Asclepius motioned for William to come forward, seemingly oblivious to Percy's tone. Percy eyed how he was carrying Mark warily, afraid that the physician was going to drop the child. "This is William, my trusty assistant! Oh, we've been through quite a lot together, haven't we?"

William stepped forward, looking at Annabeth with a smile. "I have already had the pleasure of meeting this fair maiden and her companions. Though I have not caught your name, my sweet."

"A-annabeth," Annabeth replied, looking surprised at herself for saying this. Percy looked at her, eyes wide.

"Annabeth." William breathed in heavily. "A beautiful name."

Asclepius slapped William on the arm disparagingly. "Now, stop that!" He smiled at Annabeth apologetically. "Please excuse him, miss. I'm afraid my assistant is a shameless flirt, but he's ultimately harmless. You needn't feel unsafe here."

"N-n…" Annabeth started, but she trailed off quickly.

Asclepius made a shooing motion to William with his cane. "Now, go set up the operating table! We have a child to save!" With a last look at Annabeth, William turned around and headed towards a side door in the laboratory.

Asclepius spun around, almost knocking Mark's head on the corner of a table. "Spike! Where are you?"

" _Move_." Percy stiffened as he felt a snake slither across his foot, moving towards Asclepius. The voice seemed to have come from the snake, much to Percy's surprise.

"There you are!" Asclepius reached down and pulled the snake from the floor, placing it onto his cane. He pointed a finger at the snake admonishingly. "And where have you been?"

" _There was a mouse in the leprosy ward_ ," Spike responded in a low, raspy voice. " _I had to…convince Jack to give it to me_."

"Now, what have I told you about fighting with the ward snakes?"

" _Don't lose_?"

Asclepius thought for a second. "Really? Wh—no! _Don't_ fight them!" He sighed, looking back to the four of them. "Don't worry, the child is in safe hands. I'll bring him out as soon as he's well again." He moved towards the side door that William had gone through. "You can wait in here, if you like: this may take a while." With a final wave, he stepped into the operating theater, slamming the door behind him.

Percy let out a long breath once Asclepius had left. "Why don't I feel confident about this?"

Hestia smiled unsurely. "Asclepius is…eccentric, but he knows how to do his job. Believe me, we couldn't have brought Mark to a better place."

"Sure." Percy sat down on one of Asclepius' chairs, nearly falling through the seat. "Gah!" The chair was so old that it could barely support his weight, and he quickly jumped back up. "What is this place?" he muttered. He brushed wooden slivers from his pants.

On the other side of the room, Annabeth was idly playing with her hair, looking through the window to the courtyard below.

Percy approached her cautiously. "Are you alright?"

Annabeth jumped, surprised. "What? Oh, yes, I'm fine."

"It's just…I don't like how that guy spoke to you."

"Who, William? You heard Asclepius, he's harmless."

"He's _French_ ," Percy argued back.

"Why do you care?" Annabeth asked. "It's not your problem."

Percy scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I know it's not, but it's just…" He took a deep breath. "It's just that you're my friend, and I feel…responsible for you."

Annabeth looked at him strangely. "Well, you're not. I can handle myself, thank you."

"I know you can-"

"So why do you feel that you need to step into my business?"

"You said that we needed to trust each other, and we can only do that if we talk to each other."

"Oh, so _now_ we're talking about our feelings? Because we're _best_ friends?"

Percy blinked. "You don't…think we're friends?"

Annabeth glared at him. "I'm here for a quest, Percy. I'm not risking my life to make _friends_."

Percy nodded slowly. "O-of course. That's…perfectly reasonable." He tried to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Annabeth turned back towards the window, ignoring him. He moved to stand next to Grover, who was poking Asclepius' machine experimentally.

"Grover?" Percy said awkwardly. "We're…friends, right?"

"What? Yes, of course. Why, is something wrong?"

"No, I was just…checking." After ensuring the chair's integrity, Percy sat down and waited for the surgery to be over.


	22. Divine Intervention

An hour later, they were still waiting for Asclepius. An oak longcase clock ticked in the corner, marking the time passing. Percy had been flipping through the physician's books, trying to sound out the letters, but the words were all so long and confusing that he couldn't get anything from them. Eventually, he settled into idly examining the often grotesque pictures that described the internal structures of the body. He felt his chest as he breathed, wondering if that was how his lungs really looked.

Annabeth, who had been staring out of the window the entire time, suddenly turned around to face them. "I need some fresh air," she announced.

Hestia looked up from some needlework that she had inexplicably pulled from thin air. "Of course, go. I can barely handle that smell, myself." She wrinkled her nose. "And tell Annie what's happened, will you? I'm sure she's worried out of her mind."

With a nod, Annabeth stepped out of Asclepius' laboratory, closing the door behind her. Percy watched her leave, frowning. He tapped his foot anxiously, jittery from sitting in a chair for so long. The smell of lye was giving him a headache, and he held his forehead painfully. After a few minutes, he stood up, the chair creaking underneath him. "Actually, I think I need some fresh air, as well."

Hestia waved him off, focused on her work. "Go; I'll wait here. I'm sure Asclepius will be out any minute now."

Percy stepped out of the laboratory, looking around him. He stopped a pair of nurses who were carrying a woman with the body of a bird on a stretcher. "Excuse me, have you seen a girl around here? She's blonde, around my age?"

The nurse looked at him, confused. "No, I haven't; we just got out of surgery." She gestured to the bird woman, who was covered in bandages.

"I see. Thank you, anyway." He let them pass, then went up to a physician who was wearing a dark coat and asked him about Annabeth.

The doctor looked up from his notes, frowning. "A blonde girl? Why, I believe I saw her wandering about a few minutes ago. She went down that corridor." He pointed to a side hall.

Percy thanked the man and went down the corridor quickly. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling in his stomach. He walked down the hall, glancing around him anxiously. Most of the rooms were quiet, likely the rooms of the more permanent residents of the hospital. Percy was about to admit defeat and head back when he saw a door that was slightly opened.

He pushed the door slowly, revealing a large room with a steaming pool of water in the back. It appeared to be a bath of some sort, with a stone ridge circling the pool to act as seating. Next to the bath, William was kneeling over Annabeth, his face buried in her neck. When he heard the door open, William lifted his face, scowling. His skin had turned pasty white, and his eyes were glowing red. Blood ran from his mouth as he examined Percy. "Well, isn't this awkward. It appears you interrupted us in a rather…intimate moment."

Percy took a step back in shock. "What the hell is this? What have you done to her?"

William smirked. "Nothing she didn't want. Well, mostly." He bared his bloodstained fangs.

In front of him, Annabeth slowly opened her eyes, groaning. Her face was pale, and she was bleeding from a large cut on her neck. She looked at Percy, mumbling something quietly.

Percy quickly brought out Riptide, arms trembling. "Step away from her!"

William smiled maliciously, cocking his head. He wiped his face with his hand, leaving a streak of red along his cheek. "And why, pray tell, would I do that? I'm absolutely _famished_ , you see. And your friend here is quite…" He paused, looking for the right word. " _Tender._ " He grinned at Percy's look of horror.

Percy nervously sidled into the room as he spoke. "What are you?"

William examined the blood on his fingers. "I'm actually quite the rare specimen: the only one of my kind, as far as I know. Hecate's cruel little joke." He chuckled grimly. "I am a male empousa. An empous _o_ , if you will." He bowed his head respectfully. Seeing Percy's look of confusion, he continued. "The empousai feed off of the blood of men, often by seducing them first. Most of my siblings are women, but…" He shrugged. "Here I am. Sir Asclepius has been kind enough to keep me fed from the results of his bloodletting, but once in a while I need my food…" He licked the blood from his hand. "Straight from the source."

"Asclepius _knows_ that you're a monster?" Percy said, surprised. "And he lets you stay in a hospital?"

"Asclepius thinks that he's tamed me, that I'll be satisfied by the dirty blood he gets from his cholera patients. His pet monster, reformed into helping the sick." He spat on the ground. "But when I saw your friend, I couldn't help myself: I rarely get the chance to taste untainted blood, especially from such a lovely creature." He ran his hand through Annabeth's hair. "Quite the tease, this one. I can see why you like her."

"I said _step away from her_!"

"And I asked, why should I?" William sighed. "It appears this conversation is going in circles; how dreadfully boring." He shook his head, getting to his feet. "I suppose you want to fight me? Do it quickly: I prefer my meals alive, and I'm afraid my sweet doesn't have much longer." As he spoke, his fingers transformed into long claws, dripping with blood. He stepped over Annabeth's body, leering. "Normally I don't go after males, but I can't let you live. You'll forgive me if I forgo the seduction part." He suddenly lunged forward, swiping with his claws. Percy backed away quickly, nearly slipping on the water that had condensed on the floor.

William went for another swing, his fangs bared as he hissed demonically. Percy sidestepped the blow, leaping forward and slicing the monster on his arm. William moved back at the cut, examining the dust leaking out of the wound with distaste. "How barbaric." He approached Percy, snarling. William appeared to be positioning himself between Percy and Annabeth, as if he was protecting his kill. Annabeth had lost consciousness again, laying on the floor with a spreading pool of blood around her.

The empouso lunged at Percy again, jumping five feet in the air as he came down on him. Surprised at William's sudden height, Percy wasn't able to defend himself properly, gasping as he felt a sudden pain in his arm as William's claws sliced him. He stepped back, holding onto his arm.

William's eyes gleamed as he saw Percy's blood. He licked his lips, walking slowly towards him. "Give yourself up, and I'll be sure to kill you quickly."

Percy shook his head, raising Riptide. He backed up, stepping into a large puddle on the floor. His eyes widened as he examined the room quickly. The bath…he might be able to use the water in the bath to his advantage. He edged closer to the pool, holding his sword in front of him.

Percy looked to his side and saw a shelf of clay jars. He picked one up with his free hand, surprised at how heavy it was. He threw the jar at William, shouting. The monster dodged out of the way, the jar landing with a crash behind him. As the jar broke, Percy saw that some type of clay had fallen out of the container, mixing with the water on the floor. Percy threw another jar directly at the monster's head. William slashed at the jar with his claws, slicing through the container. The jar shattered in mid-air, releasing the clay in William's face, blinding him. The empouso cried out in surprise, trying to wipe the debris from his face. Unfortunately for him, his claws were not well-suited to this task, and he had to very delicately wipe his face or risk poking himself in the eye. He spouted some curses in French, growling angrily.

While William was distracted, Percy ran to the bath, stepping onto the ridge so that he was up to his ankles in the water. As soon as he entered the bath, Percy felt a sudden surge of strength flow through him. He reached towards William, straining to move the water.

Once William had cleared his eyes, he glared at Percy, bits of clay still sticking to his face. When he saw what Percy was doing, he snarled and ran at him, eyes flaming. Just as he was about to reach the bath, Percy felt the pulling sensation inside of his chest, only much more strongly than ever before. He shouted, hearing a roar from behind him. Around him, the water flew out of the bath directly into William, knocking him back to the other side of the room. The monster hit the wall painfully, sliding down to the floor. Percy walked up to the empouso, who was coughing up a few cups of water with a disgusting sound. His hair fell lankly down to his shoulders, and he eyed Percy with a look of pure hatred.

Before he could say anything, Percy ran his sword through William's heart, killing him instantly. William dissolved into dust quickly, eyes wide. As William died, Percy stabbed him again in a rage, yelling furiously. He stabbed again, bringing Riptide up and down until he was hitting the stone floor. Once William had dissolved completely, Percy spat in his remains and kicked the dust across the room.

Once the adrenaline had left him, Percy fell to his knees in exhaustion. His act with the water had drained him of energy, and he felt as if his entire body ached. With an enormous effort, Percy staggered over to Annabeth, kneeling down in the expanding pool of blood that surrounded her.

With a jolt, Percy saw that she had a much larger wound than he had thought, a deep gash running down her entire neck. Her face was pale, and she was breathing haltingly. Percy looked at her helplessly; she was obviously dying, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Annabeth! Oh, God…" Percy tried to staunch the wound, but merely ended up slicking his hands with blood. "Help!" he shouted. "Help, anyone! We need a doctor!" He shook his head, feeling completely helpless. Annabeth was becoming even paler, and her breathing sounded like a rattle being played.

He took Annabeth's hand in his own. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He wiped his eyes, tears blearing his vision. He yelled wordlessly, enraged at the unfairness of it all. "Damn it all! Damn it all to hell!" He clutched her hand tighter, bringing it to his forehead. "I should have gone with Grace. Why didn't I go? I _had_ a way out, but I didn't take it. This never would have happened if I'd left. You would be safe at camp, not…" He shouted again, roaring in pain and anger.

Percy rubbed his arm as he cried, tears falling freely. Suddenly, he froze, feeling a rip in his sleeve. He had been cut by William there, but when he ran his hand over the spot, he didn't feel any pain. There had definitely been a wound there before, but it had somehow healed itself. Percy didn't have any explanation for this, unless…

Percy looked at his shaking hands, eyes wide. "Did I…" Not daring to hope, Percy put his hands under Annabeth and lifted her, staggering to his feet. As soon as he moved her, more blood started gushing out of Annabeth's wound. Either he was right about this, or he had just signed her death warrant. Percy jerkily moved towards the bath, now only half full after he had thrown the water out of it. He stepped into the pool, holding Annabeth on the surface of the water. Blood mixed with the water, turning the bath a light red.

"Please," he whispered. "Poseidon, if you're listening…I need your help." He closed his eyes tightly, concentrating on what was in his arms. Suddenly, Percy felt the same sensation he had when manipulating water. He slowly opened his eyes, looking in wonder as the water around Annabeth's wound began to glow, pulsing a bright blue-green color. A vein of silver light was in the water as well, complementing the bright colors. As Percy watched, blood stopped flowing from Annabeth's wound as the flesh began to close. After a few seconds, the water stopped glowing, leaving them in the same reddened pool. Annabeth's wound had closed, but the skin hadn't healed over the cut, leaving a hideous red gash on her neck.

Annabeth's eyes fluttered open, her pupils dilated and unfocused. "What-" She looked up at Percy with confusion. "Percy? I don't…Am I in water?"

Percy let out a quick breath of relief, grinning broadly. He let Annabeth down from his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace, laughing joyfully. Annabeth stiffened as he hugged her, looking extremely perplexed. "Oh, you're close. Percy, what is happening?" She gasped. "William—he's an empousa! He…he charmed me, we have to stop him-"

Percy let out another laugh. "I took care of him. Everything is fine."

Annabeth stepped back from him, looking around her. "Wait…he brought me…" She touched her neck gingerly, wincing at the pain. She looked at Percy, wide-eyed. "Did you-"

She was interrupted as the door suddenly burst open with a loud crash. Hestia stormed into the room, a look of rage on her face. Steam hissed off of her as she walked in, examining the room. Behind her, Asclepius shuffled in, wearing his bird mask again. He was holding his cane by the base, as if he was about to beat someone over the head with it. Coiled around the handle, Spike hissed angrily, his tongue flicking out of his mouth.

"What the dickens is going on in here?" Asclepius asked, his voice muffled. He looked at the shattered pottery and spilled water in dismay.

Percy raised his hand and stepped out of the bath, leaning on Annabeth as much as she was leaning on him. He felt even more drained of energy, only kept up by the sight of everyone safe. "We're here," he said weakly.

Hestia sighed with relief, shaking her head. She tried to embrace them, but her arms were too short, so she ended up holding onto their waists awkwardly. "Oh, children, I was so worried."

Asclepius stepped forward, wielding his cane as he looked around the room. "Where is the scamp? After all I've done for him, this is how he repays me?"

Spike slithered down the cane and rested on Asclepius' shoulder. " _I never liked him_ ," he hissed. " _Had a funny accent_."

Percy nodded towards the pile of dust that had been William. Asclepius sighed, visibly relieved. "Oh, thank you for that. I'm not exactly the fighting type; quite the opposite, in fact."

Hestia looked up from fussing over them to glare at Asclepius. She slapped his arm, causing him to jump back in surprise. "You! What on Earth made you think it was a good idea to keep an empousa in a hospital?"

"I thought he had changed! He was an excellent assistant-"

"He _drinks people's blood_!" She smacked him again angrily. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, endangering children like that."

"They're fine-"

" _Fine_? They nearly died!"

Asclepius examined Annabeth, nearly poking her in the face with his beak. "Oh, she's right. You _did_ almost die."

Hestia sighed. "Take that ridiculous thing off your face. You look foolish."

Asclepius nodded, removing the mask and dropping it on the floor. He looked at Annabeth shrewdly, narrowing his eyes at the wound on her neck. "Cut through quite a number of arteries. He's efficient, I'll give him that. You would have bled out like a pig in a butcher's."

" _Asclepius_!" Hestia rebuked him, shocked.

Looking at Annabeth's pale face, Asclepius realized his error. "Ah. Apologies, my dear. Sometimes I get…lost in the diagnosis." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well, the wound seems to have closed, though not very elegantly, I must say." He scowled at the missing patch of skin. "Amateurs."

Asclepius took a step back, lowering his head. "Miss Chase, it appears that I owe you a great apology. It was my carelessness that put both of you in the way of such harm. As a physician, it is my greatest failure to cause injury to those under my protection, even indirectly. I most humbly ask for your forgiveness." He gave a low bow. On his shoulder, Spike lowered his head to her, hissing softly.

Annabeth nodded solemnly. "I appreciate your apology; I know that you were only doing what you thought was best." She patted Asclepius on the shoulder, sighing. "Now, I have lost a…great deal of blood, and I would very much like to rest."

"Of course! Please, come with me." Asclepius took Annabeth by the shoulder and half-carried her out of the room, still apologizing to her.

Without Annabeth to lean against, Percy stood woozily in the middle of the room, rapidly losing the will to remain standing. Hestia quickly ran to his side and put her arm around his torso, holding him up with surprising strength. She slowly led him out of the room and down the halls of the hospital.

"That was quite an impressive feat," Hestia said as they walked. "You saved her life."

"Well, she's already saved mine," Percy responded. "Figured it was time I had a turn."

Hestia chuckled softly. "As…blunt as Asclepius can be, he was right. That wound nearly killed Annabeth. Did _you_ heal her?"

Percy furrowed his brows. "I…think so? Or…no, it was my father, maybe. And…Athena?"

Hestia nodded. "Yes, I did feel some of Athena's influence on her; more than normal, of course. It's been quite a while since Poseidon and Athena cooperated on something."

"So why now?"

She sighed. "If I wanted to be cynical, I would say that they helped because it would make you more receptive to their causes. If I wanted to be kind, I would say that they did it out of love for their children."

"And if you wanted to be realistic?"

"I would say that it was probably a bit of both. The gods work in mysterious ways, Percy. Trust me, I'm one of them."

Percy nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

As they walked past the foyer, Grover ran up to them, breathing heavily. He pulled Percy into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry! I should have gone with you; you could have died!"

Percy patted his back softly. "It's alright. I didn't know what was going to happen, either."

"But I should have known he was a monster! I should have smelled it on him, but I couldn't."

Percy took Grover by the shoulders. "Really, it's fine. Everything worked out in the end." He grinned weakly. "If it makes you feel any better, the next one's all yours."

To his surprise, Grover nodded resolutely. "I will. I want to make myself more useful to the quest."

Percy blinked. "No, I wasn't-"

Grover gave Percy back to Hestia. "I took Mark back to his family," he told her. "They were pretty anxious."

Percy suddenly remembered why they had come here in the first place. "How is Mark? Did Asclepius manage to fix him?"

Hestia smiled. "He brought him out right after you left. Asclepius says he should make a full recovery."

"That's good."

Hestia handed Grover a pouch of coins. "Take the stagecoach and the family to an inn near here. We've all had a busy day." Grover nodded and took off to the exit, his hooves clacking on the wooden floor.

"No, we can't waste an entire day-" Percy started, but was cut off by Hestia.

"We can and we will," she said sternly. "You and Annabeth both need time to rest, and neither of you are in any condition to travel. I know you need to get to Devonport soon, but your health comes before the quest. We'll go when you're ready."

Percy sighed, but let himself be led to a side wing of the hospital, where Hestia brought him to a small bedroom with thin curtains. She carefully laid him on the bed, tucking him in as if he was a child. As soon as his head hit the pillow, Percy immediately fell into a dreamless sleep.


	23. Midnight Talks

Percy woke up to the sound of a door opening. He raised his head, examining the dark room. Outside, night had fallen, and a cool wind blew from the open window. He squinted his eyes as a sudden light entered the room, blinding him for a moment. After his eyes adjusted, he saw that Annabeth had walked in, holding a candle in one hand and a bag in the other. She was wearing a simple woolen nightgown with the symbol of Asclepius sewn on the breast.

"Oh, did I wake you?" She set her candle on the table and placed her bag next to it.

"Annabeth?" he said nervously, pulling his blankets over himself despite the fact that he was fully clothed. "What time is it?"

She shrugged. "Late. The hospital's pretty quiet at this hour; it took a while to find you, though."

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I told you, we were going to work on your reading every night." She sat down at the table and pulled out her writing supplies from the bag. She gestured to the chair next to her. "Sit."

"I don't think this is exactly-"

"Sit," she repeated firmly. "And you better have practiced our work from last time."

Feeling very confused, Percy threw off his blankets and walked to the table, where Annabeth was lighting more candles until it was bright enough to read easily. He sat next to her, still unsure about her being in his bedroom.

Annabeth was quiet, holding a quill in her hand as she looked at the lit candle. She sighed softly, rolling the quill between her fingers as she spoke. "First of all, I wanted to say…thank you, for saving me."

Percy shook his head. "We're even, is all. You saved me before." He smiled sheepishly. "And I now realize I never thanked you for that."

She nodded. "Well, it looks like this mystery girl did as much as I." She grinned. "Grace. That's a pretty name."

"How do you know that?"

She shook her head at his cluelessness. "I noticed someone had changed your bandages while I was suffering in Aphrodite's dungeon. And, considering how shook up you were when we left, it wasn't hard to figure out." Her grin widened. "You also said her name over my dying body."

"You…heard that?"

"Bits and pieces. You were quite distraught. I'm flattered: I didn't know you cared so much about my well-being."

"That was…a rough time for me."

"Oh, for _you_? Forgive me, I didn't realize." Annabeth chuckled, settling into her chair. "You wanted to run away with her. Is that right?"

Percy shook his head, embarrassed. "I don't think-"

"I told you we were going to talk about it." She raised her arms. "Now's as good a time as any."

"I thought you didn't want to talk. I thought we weren't friends."

Annabeth sighed. "I never should have said that. Will-" She paused. "The empousa charmed me; I didn't mean those things I said."

"So…we are friends?"

She smiled. "Yes, Percy, I'd say we're friends by now. Especially after today."

Percy nodded. "That's good to know." He smiled back at her. "You seem to be in a good mood tonight," he noted.

"Yes, well, losing half of your blood can…mess with your head a bit. Also, I'm pretty sure Asclepius gave me some laudanum for my pain. Just a small amount, I think, but…" She shrugged. "Don't worry; I'm sure your incompetence will get back on my nerves soon."

Percy put a hand to his chest, acting wounded. "I think I liked it better when you were thanking me."

" _I_ think you keep changing the subject. We were talking about Grace."

"Why do you care? What, are you jealous?"

Annabeth laughed. "I can't tell whether you think highly of yourself or poorly of me." She motioned for him to speak. "Come on, spit it out. We're friends now, and, as you so kindly used against me, friends talk about their feelings. So, what did Aphrodite do to you?"

Percy sighed deeply, thinking. Hesitantly, he told her about what had happened in Aphrodite's temple, looking into the candle as he spoke.

Annabeth let out a long breath as he finished. "Well. That is…unfortunate."

"It is," he agreed.

"If it makes you feel better, she was never real to begin with."

"For some reason, that doesn't make me feel better."

"Yes, I realized that as I said it." She paused, tapping her fingers on the table. "Anyway, I feel that that's enough sharing for now." She slid some parchment in front of him, adopting a much more professional attitude. "Have you been practicing like I told you?"

Percy blinked, unsure of her sudden shift in tone. "Yes, I have."

She nodded. "Good." She pointed to the parchment, which had the alphabet written on it in her neat handwriting. "Now, read out these letters and their sounds."

Percy carefully recited the alphabet, nudged along with Annabeth's help, especially with the letters towards the end. She walked him through several short words, often taking a whole minute to get through them. Annabeth was a fairly good teacher, though she seemed unable to comprehend the absolute lack of learning he had received. They spent nearly twenty minutes on the word "night," during which time Annabeth simply repeated the word with increasing irritation while Percy struggled to figure out why the letters weren't making the right sounds.

"There's no 'g' sound!" Percy asserted, pointing to the parchment. "It's 'n-i-t.'" He sounded out the word. "Where's the 'g?'"

"The sound isn't there, but the letter _is_ ," Annabeth responded with a beleaguered air. "That's how the word is spelled."

"Why? It doesn't make sense!"

"That's just how it is, Percy! I didn't invent English!" She sighed. "It's _night_. N-I-G-H-T."

"But _why_?"

Annabeth groaned in frustration, putting her head in her hands. "Honestly, I would've preferred dying." As she ran her hand through her hair, Percy noticed that her wound had mostly healed, though there was a faint scar running from her ear to the base of her neck.

"Asclepius did that?" he asked, pointing to her neck.

Annabeth glanced at her shoulder. "Oh, yes. He said he couldn't stand the 'shoddy workmanship' and fixed me up. Good thing, too: I didn't want to have to walk around with a big patch of skin missing."

"He left a scar," he noted.

Annabeth nodded, seeming slightly proud of herself. "All of the best fighters have scars. That's how they prove they've survived tough enemies."

Percy was reminded of a scar on his arm from when he accidentally cut himself on a rigging hook. "It's impressive," he said.

"It is." Annabeth sighed, pushing the parchment away from her. "I think that's all we'll do for tonight. Keep practicing, and, for the gods' sake, just trust me when I tell you how a word is spelled."

"You can't establish rules and then break them at random-"

"We're done for tonight!" She cut him off tersely, quickly packing up her things. "You've been progressing nicely; I think we'll start the book soon. Just keep at it." She clasped her bag tightly and slung it around her shoulder. "Good night, Percy."

He nodded. "Good night."

She left, taking the candles with her. Percy stood in the darkened room, feeling his way back to his bed. He took off his shoes and jacket before getting back under the blankets, doubting he'd need much rest after sleeping for an entire day. He was wrong, however, and he fell back asleep immediately. This time, his sleep wasn't dreamless.

Percy found himself standing in a clearing next to a large lake, a light breeze blowing through his hair. The sun was hot, much hotter than he was used to, and he would have sweated more if not for the wind.

He appeared to be standing in some kind of training area, with racks of weapons and armor lined up under an open-air marble building. Rocks had been set up to create a crude track around the clearing, as well as some obstacles to climb or jump over. Around him, young women in leather armor were training, sparring with each other or running along the lake's edge.

Feeling very confused, Percy walked over to a girl who was tying up the straps of her armor over her clothes.

"Excuse me, where am I?" he asked. The girl ignored him, finishing her work before standing up. Without a word, she turned towards Percy and walked straight through him, giving him a very unpleasant feeling. She continued on her way, oblivious to his presence.

Percy felt the spot where she had passed through him, frowning. He remembered his dream with his father, though then he had been able to talk with Poseidon. "What is this?" he called out to the sky. "What do you want?"

He heard a booming voice, one he didn't recognize. " _Watch_." No one else but Percy seemed to hear this. In front of him, Percy saw a glowing path of light leading away from the training area. He followed the path cautiously as he walked along the lake. The water was a dark blue, and the women were walking into and out of the lake as if it wasn't there.

Eventually, Percy ended up in a secluded part of the camp, a small arena surrounded by lush trees. Two women were there, holding large spears. They were grinning broadly, circling each other slowly.

"You fight like an Astomoi," the woman facing away from Percy said mockingly. "I thought we were sparring, not waving our weapons in the air."

The other fighter laughed. "Well, at least I can parry. For a goddess, your reaction time is terrible. What, are you still tired from Zeus' head?"

Percy started as the first woman circled around enough for him to see her face. She looked remarkably like an older Annabeth, with the same long blonde hair and piercing gray eyes. From her opponent's remarks, Percy assumed that this was Athena, though she looked much different and significantly younger than when he had seen her.

Athena smirked, tapping the shaft of her spear. "What's your excuse, Pallas? Ate too much fish?"

"That happened _one_ time." Pallas looked fairly similar to Athena, though her face was kinder and she had grass braided in her hair.

Athena let out a short laugh. "I must admit, I've never seen a naiad vomit so much. It was like watching a geyser." She mimed water coming out of her mouth with her hand.

Pallas frowned jokingly. "That was a low blow, even for you. Need I remind you about your _brilliant_ attempts at owl breeding?"

"I really don't-"

"You put two boy owls in the same cage!" Pallas snorted with laughter. "For _months_ , you expected them to mate. At some point, didn't you check?"

Athena scowled. "In my defense, it is very difficult to tell the difference between male and female owls."

Pallas laughed loudly. "Perhaps you need some practice. Look at me closely: am I a man or a woman?"

Athena drew herself up, insulted. "Well, _technically_ you're neither, because naiads are all-"

"Wrong answer!" Pallas suddenly shot forward, spear pointed at Athena. Wide-eyed, Athena barely managed to bring her spear up in time, deflecting the blow but getting grazed on the cheek. Droplets of golden blood appeared on her face.

"Like I said, you're too slow." Pallas ran forward again, bringing her spear down as quickly as lightning. She forced Athena back, pushing her towards the lake as Athena struggled to block her attacks. Percy stepped back as they approached him, forgetting that he wasn't actually there.

Suddenly, Athena found her stride, stopping her backwards movement and attempting some attacks on Pallas. Pallas grinned as she backed up, easily deflecting all of her friend's blows. The two exchanged rapid attacks, each of them deftly avoiding being stabbed. The competition grew to be quite heated, and soon they were both breathing heavily as they fought.

Right as the fight reached its climax, Pallas gasped, her eyes raised at something over Athena's head. She dropped her spear, which had just been ready to block an incoming stab from Athena. Mid-attack, Athena couldn't do anything as her spear pierced Pallas' heart and ran through her body.

Pallas immediately fell to the ground, clutching the spear in her chest. Athena's eyes were wide, obviously expecting Pallas would have avoided the blow. She ran to Pallas' side, but the naiad was dead before she hit the ground. Athena cried out in misery, shaking her friend's body uselessly. "Pallas…gods, no." She clutched Pallas to her breast, crying heavily. "I'm so sorry…I didn't mean…"

From behind Perch, the lake began to darken and churn, as the bright day turned shadowy and cold. The scene in front of Percy began to warp and distort, and suddenly he was in the middle of a large temple, with austere marble pillars holding up the roof. Iron braziers lit up the room dimly, casting dark shadows on the wall. A small fountain bubbled cheerfully in the corner, filling a pool of scented water. In the place of importance was a life-sized wooden statue of Pallas, wearing a helmet and wielding a spear and shield.

A number of supplicants were at the temple, kneeling in front of the statue and offering sacrifices. By the statue, Athena stood tall in bronze armor, her owl perched on her shoulder. She was smiling at the people, nodding her head as they left presents of gold and dead animals by the statue. Percy noticed that all of the petitioners were women wearing long white robes.

One woman stepped forward, holding a dead pig in one hand and a bloody dagger in the other. "Mighty Pallas Athena, accept my offering."

Athena straightened, looking at the woman with confusion. "Pallas Athena?"

The woman stopped, looking slightly afraid at Athena's question. "Your _palladium_ has guarded Troy for generations. It is only right that we should honor that in your title." She cocked her head. "The statue is of you, is it not?"

Athena gave the woman a strange look, her eyes narrowed. She looked at the _palladium_ , frowning. With the helmet obscuring the face, the statue did look very similar to Athena, as Pallas had.

Athena turned her head to face the crowd. She slowly nodded, raising her arms. "...Yes. You may refer to me as Pallas Athena, if you so desire."

The scene suddenly froze, right as the woman was about to say something back to Athena. The same mysterious voice from before echoed throughout the temple. " _See how quickly she abandons her penance. She takes her victim's name, as if she did not commit the murder herself_."

The scene changed. Percy was standing in the same temple, only everyone had left and night had fallen. As he stood there, Athena walked into the room, looking saddened. She seemed older, looking more like how she appeared at camp. She ran her hand along the statue, gazing wistfully at it.

"I'm sorry, old friend," she whispered. She stayed by the statue's side for a few minutes, until a young girl wearing torn robes burst into the room. She kneeled at the statue, breathing heavily.

"Please, Pallas Athena, save us! Achaeans have entered the temple: if they take the _palladium_ , the city is lost!" She didn't seem to see Athena standing next to the statue.

Athena looked at the girl sadly, shaking her head. From the front of the room, the doors to the temple opened, and two large men in leather armor walked in, wielding bronze swords. One of the men grunted, pointing at the girl with his sword. The other one approached her as she stayed on the floor, frozen in terror. Before she could scream, the man ran his sword through her, killing her. She collapsed onto the ground, eyes wide.

The man who had killed her snorted in distaste, wiping his sword with a cloth. "I thought we were supposed to stay undetected; get in, steal the bitch, and get out. I don't get off on killing kids."

The other man shrugged. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

"So why do I make all of the sacrifices?"

"Bah, quit your complaining and help me with this." He tried to pick the statue up, straining. Seeing his difficulty, his partner wrapped his arms around the statue and pulled. After a few seconds of effort, the statue separated from its pedestal with a flash of silver light. A ripple seemed to move through the air as the statue was removed, and the braziers dimmed slightly.

One of the men whistled as they hoisted the statue onto their shoulders. "Well I'll be damned. Guess the bitch was magic, after all."

"Not anymore." The man chuckled darkly. "Now, let's get this home."

The scene stopped again, with the thieves walking out of the temple with the statue as Athena watched in sorrow.

" _After Troy lost the protection of 'Pallas Athena,' tens of thousands died in their beds while the city was sacked. Athena did nothing to stop the desecration of her friend's memory, nor to stop the slaughter of innocents_."

Percy looked at the body of the girl on the floor, ready to throw up. "Why are you showing me this?"

" _Because you_ must _know this if you are to understand. Athena cannot be trusted with the Sword: that is why I took it from her_."

Percy froze, looking around him quickly. " _You_ stole the sword?"

The voice hummed, as if it was satisfied with itself. " _What an incredible observation. Yes, I took the sword, if only to get it out of her hands._ "

"Who are you?"

" _It seems a great many people are interested in you, mortal. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. Not your capabilities, surely. Familial connections, perhaps? Or maybe you were just the first gullible demigod that the gods could bend to their will._ "

"What do you want from me?"

" _Go home, demigod. Take your companions and live out the rest of your short existence. Let history run its course, without the interference of meddling children._ "

The room cooled suddenly, and Percy felt his chest being compressed painfully. He struggled to breathe, trying in vain to expand his lungs.

" _Do not think our connection will spare you. If you enter my domain, you_ will not _survive._ "

Being strangled, Percy found it difficult to reply. He gasped wordlessly, clutching his chest. As quickly as it had appeared, he felt the grip on his lungs lift, and he breathed in deeply, trying to recover.

" _Beware, child. This will be your only warning_."

Percy blinked, and the world went dark around him.


	24. Partings

Percy opened his eyes slowly, frowning. His vision was filled with the face of Asclepius peering over him, stroking his chin as he thought. Percy jumped in surprise, moving to the other side of the bed quickly.

"Good God, man! Don't scare me like that!"

Asclepius smiled. "Good morning," he said politely. "How did you sleep?"

Percy sighed, throwing his blankets off. He stood up from the bed, putting on his coat quickly. "Can I ask why you were leering over my bed?"

"Oh, I was just examining you. You can never be too careful," he said wisely. Spike was wrapped around the man's neck, snoozing quietly. "You seem to be in good shape, all things considered."

"Is that surprising?"

He shrugged. "Doing magic takes a large amount of energy. Of course, you did sleep for quite a while. Hungry?"

Now that Asclepius had mentioned it, Percy was starving. "Very."

Asclepius nodded, throwing him a cloth bundle. Percy opened it to reveal a large loaf of bread and a few pieces of some crumbly white cheese. He ate it quickly, still standing next to his bed. "What time is it?"

"About midday," Asclepius answered, petting Spike idly. "I was just about to discharge you when you woke up."

Percy was silent for a minute, focused on his breakfast. He finished, balling the cloth and handing it back to Asclepius. "Where are my friends?"

"I've already discharged Annabeth; full bill of health," he said proudly. "As for Hestia…" He paused. "I don't actually know where she went off to; probably with your satyr friend." He walked up to Percy, who was heading to the door. "Oh, do you think you can stay a while? I have some experimental treatments I'd like to try out. Tell me, have you had smallpox before?"

Percy gave him a strange look. "What? No, of course not."

"Perfect! If you'll just-"

"I really must be going now." He opened the door, nodding at Asclepius. "Thank you for having us. I hope you'll find a more…suitable assistant in the future."

"Oh, of course. Good day to you, then." Asclepius raised his hand, frowning slightly as Percy left.

Percy walked through the halls of the hospital, frowning. His dream had severely unnerved him, as well as the mention of some connection between the thief and him. He held a hand to his chest as he walked, ensuring that he was still breathing.

He walked towards the front door of the _asclepeion_ , navigating between patient beds and therapy snakes. He stepped onto the street, startling a passing woman who gasped at his sudden appearance. She walked off, holding a hand to her heart in surprise.

Annabeth was waiting for him outside, idly tapping her foot on the road. She straightened as she saw him and walked towards him, her bag slung across her shoulder.

"Ready to leave?" She motioned for him to follow as she went down the street. He fell in next to her as she walked, moving past the sparse pedestrians going about their business.

"Annabeth-" Percy opened his mouth, intending to talk about his dream. However, he felt strange bringing it up, especially the part about Athena and Pallas. He still didn't know what to do with the new information, and he was wary of his apparent connection with the voice. The last thing he needed was to be seen as untrustworthy or compromised.

Annabeth gave him a curious look, not breaking stride. "What is it?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing, sorry."

She hummed suspiciously, but didn't say anything. After a few minutes, they arrived at a small inn near the center of town. The stagecoach was tied near the front, the horses already harnessed.

"Hey, it's you!" The mare snorted happily. "I thought you had died, judging by everyone's mood yesterday."

Percy smiled. "I'm fine. I see you're looking good, as well." She was: the horses appeared to have been thoroughly cleaned and washed, and their hair looked brushed.

"The stable boy here's excellent," she replied, shaking her head proudly. "I feel radiant."

The older stallion huffed. "Still doesn't make up for working us to the bone." He moved his head towards the doors of the inn. "They're in there. We'll be waiting here, as usual."

Percy nodded, and they walked into the inn. "Don't talk to the horses in public," Annabeth whispered to him as they entered. "You look like a madman."

The inn was small, as the town likely didn't see many visitors that often. A tired-looking man stood behind a desk, a large ring of keys laid next to him. The rest of their group was waiting for them in the front room. Mark was being held by both of his parents closely, looking healthy if a bit leaner than before. His siblings were with their grandfather, envious of the attention he was getting.

Grover stood as they entered, smiling. "You're alright!" He pulled them both into a hug. "I mean, I knew Asclepius was going to heal you, but I'm still glad to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Percy replied. "How's everything been?"

Grover stepped back, clearing his throat professionally. "We've stayed here for the night, as Lady Hestia asked. Obviously, the Halls are thrilled to have their son back." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I don't think they _completely_ understand what happened: people don't usually recover from the Plague overnight. The Mist must have worked hard to get them to calm down."

Percy nodded. "It's good they're safe, anyways. Where is Hestia, by the way?" He had noticed that the goddess wasn't around.

Grover frowned. "She was recalled back to Olympus, she said. Zeus didn't like her hanging around mortals, now that the gods are fighting."

"She's _gone_? When is she coming back?"

Grover shook his head. "I don't think she is. We're on our own."

Percy sighed, closing his eyes. He had hoped Hestia would be able to shed some light on his mysterious dream, and the loss of the goddess put them all in greater danger.

"Then we'll have to go on without her," Annabeth said resolutely. "We can't expect other people to solve our problems." She looked at Percy. "We should leave as soon as possible; I hate that we spent a whole day resting."

He nodded. "I agree. Let's round everyone up and get going."

They set off quickly, going vaguely south-west as Percy tried to readjust after their detour. The horses strutted regally, invigorated by their rest and cleaning. Percy set them at a reasonably fast pace, trying to make up for the lost time. They rolled through the countryside, steadily making progress towards their destination.

They continued in this fashion for days, traveling as much as the horses could safely handle. Autumn had officially established itself by this point of the year, the trees they passed sporting a colorful array of red, yellow, and orange leaves. Large orchards crawled with workers as they brought in the year's harvest, and Annabeth bought a large basket of apples from a farmer's stall waiting by the side of the road. They ate the apples as they rode, giving the horses a few each, which they practically inhaled.

Every night they tried to make camp near a river, Percy being able to sense the large amount of water. Making the fire was more difficult now without the goddess of the hearth with them, but they managed. Thomas was able to set a fire fairly quickly, though the gathering of firewood took time. They typically ate a mixture of apples and other foraged food, along with the occasional squirrel or rabbit, much to Grover's dismay. Percy tried his hand at hunting, but when he tried to kill a slumbering squirrel, his sword simply passed through the creature, waking it instantly as it quickly scampered back into the forest. Percy figured that Riptide was only able to hurt monsters, which slightly lowered his awe of the item.

True to her word, Annabeth kept up with their lessons every night, working with him for a couple of hours before sleeping. They plodded through the first few pages of _Gulliver's Travels_ painfully slowly, and she found it difficult to keep in her laughter at his ridiculous pronunciations of some of the words. Annabeth believed in letting him suffer through a difficult word for as long as he needed, only assisting when he had absolutely no idea what to do. Percy found the story entertaining enough, though it was difficult to judge when every sentence he had to stop and figure out what was being said.

Grover seemed to have a good knowledge of the region, pointing out which roads to take and which to avoid. They made good progress by his reckoning, though Percy wasn't able to tell their position from the small hamlets they passed on the road. He said that they should make it to Devonport with enough time to take the sword off of the ship, though holding up the transport carriage was out of the question after all of the distractions.

The period of relative quiet was calming, though the fact that they were quite possibly traveling to their deaths agitated him somewhat. He tried to keep his mind blank as they rode, focusing on the road ahead and nothing else.

Eventually, they reached a medium-sized town clinging to the coast. Ships of all sizes were docked in the large harbor, bobbing calmly in the water. A number of carriages and horses were going in and out of the city, transporting goods to be shipped.

"We're here." Percy stopped the carriage on the edge of town, hopping down from the driver's seat. Grover and Annabeth exited the stagecoach as well, examining the town.

Thomas dropped onto the grass, stretching his arms. "This is where we part, then."

"It appears so." Percy shook the man's hand. "I wish you luck on your journey."

Thomas grinned. "And yours." He grabbed Percy's shoulders. "Thank you for helping my family."

Percy nodded. "It's been a pleasure. Have fun in France."

He gave a hearty laugh. "We'll try." He separated from Percy and went to say goodbye to Annabeth, who was speaking to Annie.

Percy felt a tugging on his pant leg, and looked down to see Mark smiling up at him. He brandished a stick in his hand, swishing it back and forth like a sword. "Are you going off to kill more monsters?"

Percy gave him a sharp look. "How do you know about that?"

Mark brought his stick down quickly, slicing an invisible enemy in two. "The doctor said so. He said you killed an…emperor. A bad one."

Asclepius needed to learn to keep things to himself. Percy kneeled, looking Mark in the eye. "You're right, I do kill monsters," he whispered conspiratorially. "But it's a secret; you can't tell anyone. Promise?"

Mark's eyes widened at this news and he gave a small intake of breath. He saluted, nearly smacking himself in the forehead with his stick. "Promise," he whispered, awed.

He ruffled the boy's hair and stood up, grinning. "Good."

"Bye!" Mark waved his stick in farewell, then started swinging it wildly in the air.

Percy walked to the rest of the group, who were exchanging goodbyes. They talked for a few minutes before the family set off on foot, waving back as they continued on their way. The three of them waved back until the Halls got a good distance away, then went back to their own mission.

They decided, now that there were only three of them again, to forgo the large carriage in favor of simply riding the horses into town. Again, Grover preferred to stay on foot, so Percy and Annabeth each took a horse with one tied behind them.

The old stallion grumbled as Percy climbed onto him. "Now we have to carry you on our backs?"

"Surely this can't be worse than pulling a stagecoach," Percy reasoned. The stallion huffed in response. Without another complaint, they rode into town.

As its name implied, Devonport was based heavily on its docks, with the majority of the citizens being sailors or ship-builders. A fish market took up a large part of the center of town, with the cries of merchants fighting over the cries of seagulls. A large military presence was apparent, with red-clad soldiers stationed on certain corners, watching over the area attentively. The three of them tried to look as unassuming as possible, keeping their heads down as they passed.

Once they had reached the edge of the docks, they tied up the horses in a small stable, giving the stable hand some money to keep them for a few hours. The boy took the coins happily, slipping the horses with the rest of his charges.

"We'll be back soon," Percy said to both the boy and the horses. Their transport secured, they walked towards the docks, which were a bustle of activity. It was easy to blend into the crowd, and they pretended to be a few regular citizens as they searched. Percy spotted a number of large Navy ships, filled with men and supplies for the war effort.

"Which one is it?" Percy asked, examining the fleet closely. "Aphrodite didn't say which ship the sword is on."

"I imagine we'll find out," Annabeth said, searching intensely. "Just watch."

Percy did so, walking along the docks and examining the ships closely. He didn't know what they were looking for, so he tried to look at everything. It was cool this close to the ocean, and he brought his jacket in for warmth. After a few minutes, Grover pointed to a ship on the end of the dock. "Look!"

Percy looked where he was pointing, and saw a large cyclops carrying a massive crate onto a frigate by himself. The other sailors paid him no mind, attending their duties casually and talking with each other. The cyclops traversed the deck nonchalantly, hefting the crate on one shoulder as he descended into the hull.

"We have to get on that ship," Annabeth said resolutely. "The sword has to be there."

"How?" Percy asked. "It's a Navy ship, we can't just walk onto it."

Annabeth reached into her bag and pulled out her magical tricorn. "This. A gift from Athena," she explained.

"You're going to sneak onto a ship by yourself?"

"Would you rather fight an entire Navy division?" she responded. "This is the best plan."

"What are Grover and I supposed to do?"

She put on the tricorn, turning her invisible as it had before. "Keep watch from a distance," her disembodied voice said. "We'll probably have to get out of here quickly."

"That won't work." From a side street, a large soldier in a sharp uniform walked towards them, flanked by two other men. Their skin was a dull gray-blue color, and small protuberances that resembles fins were coming out of the sides of their faces. The soldiers had muskets slung on their shoulders, and boasted a large sword sheathed at their side.

The lead soldier cocker his head, tapping the hilt of his sword idly. "Surely I didn't just hear you three discussing how to break into a Navy vessel?" He made a strange clicking noise, then looked directly at where Annabeth had been. "Clever trick, that. Won't help you here, I'm afraid."

"What do you want?" Percy asked warily.

"Well, I would say intending to illegally board a ship during wartime qualifies as treason." He looked at his companions for approval. They nodded, unsheathing their swords. He grinned maliciously. "And treason must be swiftly punished."


	25. Setting Sail

The lead soldier examined them, making the same clicking sounds with his mouth. Without warning, he swung his sword in front of him and stopped it in the air, blocking the way down the docks. "Don't try to get away, girl," he said to the air. "I'd pay more attention to us." He twirled his sword in his hand fancifully, cocking his head as if he was listening to something. He advanced, constantly clicking with his tongue.

From behind him, the other soldier approached Percy, holding his sword more practically in front of him. His fins twitched as he wordlessly took stock of Percy, who had brought out Riptide at the first sign of hostilities. He apparently found Percy lacking, swiping his sword quickly at his chest. Percy blocked it with impressive speed, catching the fish man off guard. Percy himself was surprised, feeling a sudden burst of strength in his arms as he raised Riptide.

Pressing his advantage, Percy attacked the man, scoring a deep cut on his arm. A light red, watery substance flowed out of the wound, staining the man's uniform. Percy lunged forward again, cutting the man's midsection. He stepped back, clicking wildly in alarm.

Percy followed the man as he backed up towards the edge of the dock, eyes wide. Just as he reached the edge and it looked like he had nowhere to go, the soldier turned and jumped off of the dock, landing with a splash into the water below.

Percy ran over to the edge and looked down, but he couldn't see the man anywhere. A faint dark figure was swimming quickly away from him, wiggling under the water.

Percy turned around and saw that the head soldier was currently swinging his sword all over the place, slashing at seemingly empty air as he clicked incessantly. The other soldier, a man significantly larger and more impressive than the one Percy had fought, was walking menacingly towards Grover, who was frantically pulling out his pipes as he backed up. He was quickly approaching the end of the docks, about to unknowingly walk backwards into the water. Just as Percy started to go help him, Grover brought his pipes to his mouth and made the most high-pitched and painful sound Percy had ever heard. Percy held his hands over his ears instinctively, stopping in place. All around them, the sailors, dock workers, and passersby, who had seemed ignorant of their fight, cried out in pain and surprise, holding their ears as well.

The two fish people, however, seemed especially affected by Grover's noise. They shouted in pain, stumbling around drunkenly as they held their heads in agony. Their fins flapped wildly, and the large man appeared to be trying to tear his hair out. After a few seconds, the two of them collapsed onto the floor, unconscious. The same watery blood was leaking out of their ears.

Tentatively, Percy took his hands off of his ears, eyes wide. The people around them did the same, continuing about their day while grumbling about the loud noise.

"What did you do?" Percy asked.

Grover looked as surprised as he was. "I-" He cleared his throat. "The Atlanteans, they have really good hearing. So I thought a loud noise would…" He put a finger in his ear, opening and closing his mouth experimentally. "I may have gone a bit overboard, though."

Suddenly, Annabeth appeared in front of them, holding her hat. "That was…impressive."

Grover chuckled nervously. "I told you I'd handle the next one," he reminded Percy.

"And I will never doubt you again." Percy patted him on the shoulder. "So, what should we do with them?" He gestured to the unconscious men on the floor.

Annabeth kneeled over the leader, frowning. She examined him for a second before reaching back and slapping him on the face with a loud crack. He woke up instantly, gasping. Blood continued to leak from his ears as he looked around himself, confused. His confusion visibly increased when Annabeth held her dagger to his throat.

The man looked at her with unfocused eyes. "G'morning," he said loudly. He blinked quickly, seemingly coming to. He pulled his head back slightly in surprise. "Oh, that's how you look."

Annabeth's frown deepened. "Where is the sword?"

"Sorry? You're gonna have to speak up, love!" he yelled back. "Hearing's not what it used to be, I'm afraid!"

Annabeth pressed the dagger further into his skin. She spoke slowly and loudly. "How do we get on board the boat?"

"I don't know anything about a coat," he shouted. "Also, you lot can go to Tartarus: I don't deal with traitors." He grinned up at Annabeth, fins wriggling. "I'll save you a seat."

From the distance, they heard a loud clanging noise as a large bell was rung. As they looked, they saw that the ship that had been being loaded by the cyclops had finished its preparations and was now sailing out of port, its sails filled with wind.

The fish man let out a loud laugh. "You shouldn't have let Dave escape. So long, boys!" he called out to the ship. "I'll catch up later." He started to make a loud bubbling noise that almost resembled singing, until Annabeth shouted in frustration and slit his throat. He dissolved into seawater, trickling between the planks of the dock into the water below.

Annabeth stayed on the ground for a while, breathing heavily. "Damn!" she suddenly exploded, jumping to her feet. She stabbed the other unconscious man in her anger, killing him as well. She cursed for a solid two minutes, pacing back and forth along the dock. "What do we do?" she muttered to herself, thinking. "What do we _do_?"

"Annabeth," Percy said hesitantly. She ignored him, lost in thought. "Annabeth!"

She stopped, looking at him. "What?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's over. We lost."

Annabeth stared at him uncomprehendingly. "No, that's impossible. We just have to-"

"The sword's _gone_ ," he asserted. "It left on that ship."

She crossed her arms defiantly. "Then…" She frowned, thinking. "Then we follow it. We have to get to America, anyway."

"We don't know where it's going! How are we-"

"We can't just drop out of a quest: we have to see it through until the end." Annabeth glared at him, eyes narrowed. "Why are you ready to give up so quickly?"

Percy paused, mouth open to reply. He knew he was being unreasonable, but in truth he wanted to be done with this business with the sword as quickly as possible. He shook his head resignedly. "Fine. What's your plan to get us across the Atlantic?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." She sighed. "Don't you have anything from your father that could help us?"

"I don't…think so," he said unsurely. He didn't know if being the son of Poseidon granted him free transport across the ocean, or if all it did was attract people who want to murder him.

She nodded. "Of course. Then we'll have to take a regular ship. Let's ask around."

They wandered around the docks for a while, looking for any space on a ship heading for the Colonies. Most of the captains brushed them off without a word, grumbling to themselves through their pipes.

"I don't take passengers," one of the few people that would talk to them said gruffly. "It's a war zone, you know."

"We'll work for our passage," Percy offered. Having been offered a place on Navy ships many times, he knew that extra deckhands were often needed.

"We really have to get to America," Annabeth added. "Whatever you have is enough."

The man huffed, eyeing Annabeth meanly. "I don't take women on my ship. Bad luck, and all that. Also," He lowered his voice, leaning forward slightly. "We're gonna be out on the water for months, with nothing to occupy my crew. Even if I wanted, I can't guarantee your safety."

"I can handle myself," Annabeth responded tersely.

He laughed loudly. "Perhaps you can. I doubt it, but perhaps. Either way, you'll have to handle yourself somewhere else." He shook his head firmly. "Now get going, the lot of you. I don't have time for this." He turned his back to them and started barking at his crew, seeming to forget that they were even there.

After going through what felt like all of the ships in the harbor, they still could not find anyone that would take them. Eventually they ended up wandering aimlessly around the town dejectedly. Annabeth was specifically not looking at him, brows furrowed as she walked. He and Grover walked a few steps behind her, silent as the sun began to lower in the sky.

They were heading back to the docks at Annabeth's insistence when Percy noticed something strange. Despite the fact that there was no breeze, Annabeth's hair was flying around her face as if she was standing in the middle of a windstorm. She noticed this as well, stopping in the middle of the road.

From next to Annabeth, a pile of leaves, small twigs, and other debris was picked up by the wind and coalesced into a roughly human shape. She jumped away from it, understandably surprised.

The wind being looked at her silently for a while, as if thinking. Suddenly it bent into a deep bow towards her, staying in that position.

Annabeth, who was already holding her dagger defensively towards the creature, took another step back in confusion. "What do you want?" she asked hesitantly.

The being straightened, its body shifting and moving with the wind. It raised one particularly large branch and pointed it towards the docks, gesturing as if to say _over there_.

Percy gave Annabeth a concerned look, and she replied with one of her own. Grover, who looked startled but not confused, took a step towards the creature. "It's a wind spirit," he explained. "They're good, I think: we should do as it says."

The spirit's wind picked up happily, throwing leaves and small stones outside of itself. It began to drift towards the port, picking up new material as quickly as they flew out of it.

They followed the spirit, more out of curiosity than anything. It led them down the docks, past the rows of ships and crowds of people as they started to go home for the night. Unable to find more leaves or rocks on the wooden surface, the wind spirit picked up bits of rope, nails, and even some tendrils of water from puddles to keep its form. Finally, it stopped at a smaller ship docked separately from all of the others. The vessel appeared to be for transport rather than warfare, though it boasted a pair of cannons on each side of the deck for minimal protection. On the front was mounted an ornamental figurehead of a large painted owl cresting a frothing wave.

The wind spirit gestured to the ship presentingly, its two stick arms wide open. Satisfied that it had done its job, the spirit gave another low bow to Annabeth before disappearing, leaving a pile of trash on the floor.

Annabeth eyed the ship's figurehead warily, then cast her gaze to the gilded lettering beneath it. "The _HMS Athena_ ," she muttered. "Very creative, mother."

She turned to face Percy and Grover. "It looks like Athena has decided to help us." She sounded embarrassed that her mother had to step in to save them. "This ship will take us to America."

"Just us?" Percy said doubtfully. "How can we pilot an entire ship by ourselves?"

In response, the gangplank of the ship landed on the dock with a loud crash. Percy looked to see who had sent it, but couldn't see anyone.

"Well, we might as well see." He hesitantly stepped onto the plank and walked onto the deck of the ship. Around him, the ropes and sails of the ship appeared to be setting themselves, getting ready to sail.

Behind him, Grover and Annabeth walked onto the deck, examining the ship as well. Percy soon realized that the ship was not running itself, but that it was staffed by a crew of invisible sailors as they carried supplies back and forth. They stood in confusion for a while until a floating piece of parchment approached Annabeth, presented by one of the invisible men. Annabeth took the parchment and read it, frowning.

"'This is the last time I will help you,'" she read. "'You are going outside of my influence; from now on, you are on your own. As I said, don't…'" She trailed off, reading that part to herself. "'…And tell him to watch himself. Do not fail me again. Much love, Athena.'" She folded the paper, sighing. "You better watch yourself, Percy."

"I'm getting the feeling your mother doesn't like me," Percy said.

"Actually, I think she's warming up to you: she was nicer this time." She put the parchment away. "Well, it looks like this is ours for now. We should be able to make it to America in good time."

Percy wandered around as the ship was readied, examining the rooms underneath the deck and helping out with the preparations. The crew, while dutiful, didn't appear to be very skilled, and Percy discovered his knack for tying knots while fixing the rigging. He seemed to have a large amount of sailing knowledge that he didn't know he possessed, having the names of various parts of the ship already in his mind. The crew seemed to welcome his assistance, though he wasn't able to tell for sure. Despite the fact that they were invisible, Percy never walked into any of the crew accidentally, which he found strange.

Eventually he ended up near the large wooden steering wheel of the ship, looking over the water. In front of the wheel was one of the invisible men wearing a captain's hat, complete with a large gray feather sticking out of the side.

"Are you the captain?" Percy asked.

The hat turned to face him, then nodded quickly. The captain seemed to be taller than the rest of the crew, and Percy could just see the barest suggestion of a form underneath the hat as it held onto the wheel. The captain turned away from him, tilted as if he was listening to something. After some thought, he stepped back, jutting his hat towards the wheel.

"You want…me to hold the wheel?"

The hat nodded again, then turned towards the deck. All of the motion on the deck stopped, leaving a confused Grover near one of the cannons. From the balcony, the hat moved up and down, and Percy could see the motion of the captain if he squinted. The captain appeared to be giving a speech to the crew, though it remained silent on the ship. Percy grabbed the wheel as the captain did this, surprised at how difficult it was to turn.

After a few minutes, the captain pulled off his hat and waved it, and Percy heard the faintest sound of cheering as the ship suddenly lurched into motion, gliding away from the dock into the open ocean. Percy held onto the wheel as best he could, grimacing slightly at the weight of it. As soon as the ship entered the open water, Percy felt a sudden shock of surprise as he gained what felt like a new sense. He could tell that they were moving five knots northwest, though he had no idea how he knew this.

Percy successfully navigated them away from Devonport, his confidence steadily increasing. From below, Grover and Annabeth held onto the railings of the deck, looking out into the water as they moved. Soon they lost view of the land, and Percy relied on his intuitive sense of direction to keep them going.

After a while, Percy gave control of the ship back to captain, who had been patiently waiting behind him. He nodded respectfully to the floating hat and joined his friends on the deck.

There was a strong wind, and Percy had to put more thought into his steps to avoid being blown over. Lanterns had been lit around the ship, illuminating the area while swinging wildly on their hooks.

Percy found Annabeth near the bow of the ship, hands on the railing as she looked at the ocean in front of them. Her hair was flying around her face crazily, but she didn't seem to mind.

He sidled up next to her, holding onto the railing as well. She moved over to make space, still looking out.

"I'd forgotten how it felt to be on the water," she said over the wind.

"You've been on a ship before?"

"Once. I was young, though. Younger, at least."

Percy sighed, bending forward and putting his forearms on the railing. "It's a nice feeling, being out on the ocean." He looked around. "Where's Grover?"

"Belowdecks," she replied. "He said he was seasick."

He nodded, then jutted his chin towards the figurehead. "You know, I reckon, since this is our ship for now, we should give it a new name. Not to be ungrateful, but the _Athena_ doesn't really do it for me."

Annabeth gave him a sideways look. "What should we call it, then?"

He shrugged. "Let's see. I like the _Poseidon_ , personally. That's a strong name."

Annabeth snorted. "My mother would sink the ship herself if we named it that."

"The _Percy_."

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

"You come up with one, then."

She paused, thinking. " _Rosebud_."

"Why _Rosebud_?"

"It's a nice name."

Percy shook his head. "No, it's got to have a meaning. You can't just name it like it's a child."

"You would name your child Rosebud?"

He pointed a finger at her disparagingly. "That's not the question."

She thought again, then looked at the figurehead. She gave a small snort of laughter. "The _Big Bloody Owl_."

Percy grinned. "That's more like it!" He smacked the side of the ship loudly. "The _HMS Big Bloody Owl_. Terror of the seven seas, pride of the Royal Navy!" He was leaning over the railing, shouting into the air.

Annabeth laughed. "You're ridiculous. We're not naming it that."

He shook his head. "Too late, she's already been re-christened; we can't call her anything else."

"I doubt Athena would be pleased about the new name."

"I'll just tell her it was your idea."

She smiled, shaking her head. "Fine. It's the _Big Bloody Owl_."

Percy raised his arms in mock triumph. "And she's the best damn ship to ever float!"


	26. The High Seas

Wind swirled into the sails as they further unfolded, causing the ship to noticeably move faster. Percy slacked his grip on the rope, tying it to an iron post. Around him, the crew did the same, securing the sails before going back to attend to their other duties. Percy rotated his shoulders as he walked, stretching them.

They had been at sea for over a week, travelling further into the Atlantic. With little else to do and a previously-unknown surplus of sailing knowledge, Percy had been helping out around the ship, tying loose knots and assisting with the general maintenance of the _Owl_ , as they had come to call it. The trip had been fairly uneventful so far, and the horizon, while beautiful, had remained constant for the majority of the journey. Even still, with his powers Percy could tell that there would be a few more months until they arrived in the Colonies.

"Hello up there!"

Percy stopped, surprised; the voice seemed to be coming from the ocean. He looked over the railing, frowning. Much to his shock, in the water was a group of young women waving up at him jovially. There appeared to be about ten of them, wearing blue robes and crowns of seaweed. Their skin was ghostly pale, and their hair spread out in tendrils in the water. Despite the fact that the ship was moving fairly quickly, they glided along in the water with little apparent effort, matching its speed.

Percy took one look at the water and immediately stepped away from the edge, eyes wide. "Uh, we have a situation here!" he called out. Grover, who had been leaning over the other side of the ship having a lively conversation with a passing whale, turned around to see what was the matter.

"What is it? I was talking to Lilah, and she had some very interesting opinions on-" He stopped as he saw the group in the water. "Oh, hello!"

The women, who had been mildly annoyed at Percy's sudden exit, smiled and waved back at Grover, calling out greetings. Percy awkwardly sidled behind Grover. "You know them?" he whispered.

"No, but that's no reason to be rude," Grover chided him. "We're in their home, after all."

"What home?"

"The ocean. They're nereids, they live here."

Percy hesitantly stuck his head out from the railing, examining the group. Having a better look at him, one of the nereids' face suddenly lit up. She pointed up to him, snapping her fingers. "You! You're a demigod, right? Poseidon's son?" The others gasped slightly when she said this, looking up at him expectantly.

Percy frowned; it hardly ended well when people knew who he was before he had met them. "Yes, I am."

The nereids went into a sudden fit of giggling. "A son of Poseidon! Oh, I haven't seen one in years!" As she spoke, the women began to rise from on top of vertical spouts of water, bringing them closer to the deck. "What was his name? Nelson, I think." Percy and Grover backed up as the nereids were raised over the railing of the ship and landed in front of them with a splash. "He was a nice boy; you know, you look a bit like him. Well, that makes sense: you _are_ related, after all."

"What are you doing? Why are you on our ship?" Percy asked, concerned.

"Oh, this is _your_ ship?" a nereid asked, excited. "Can we have a look, then?" Without waiting for his response, a number of the nereids walked off in small groups, scattering across the deck and into the ship as they chatted amiably with each other.

"No, you can't just-" Percy's voice petered out as they left, ignoring him. The nereids who had stayed pressed forward, examining him closely.

"What are you doing out here?" one of them asked. "Not many demigods pass by this way."

"Are you doing something for Poseidon? Did he give you the ship?"

"I-I really don't-" Percy stammered, very confused. "Can you step back, please?"

Grover held his hands up placatingly. "I think we all need to calm down. We're all friends: well, not enemies, at least."

"Stand down!" A pair of tall nereids pushed through, motioning for the women to back up. One of them sighed, looking at Percy. "The satyr is right; we mean no harm." She nodded her head. "I'm afraid my sisters are…excitable, especially around new people. They meant no disrespect." Behind her, the other nereid was forcing the others into line, sending her sulking sisters back into the ocean.

Percy let out a breath. "Thank you."

The nereid frowned slightly, thinking. "These are dangerous waters, demigod. What are you doing here, on Athena's ship, no less?"

"I can't say," he responded. "Secret business, and all that."

Her eyes narrowed. "So secret that you wouldn't tell your family's servants?"

"...Yes," he said hesitantly.

"Ach, lay off the boy." The other nereid approached, smiling. "I'm sure he's off saving the world, or whatever else demigods do for fun." Her dark hair fell in ringlets around her face as she faced Percy. "Apologies; my sister seems to not have inherited the charm that typically comes with our kind." She curtseyed to him, nodding her head. "My name is Pherusa. This is my lovely sister, Dynamene. We welcome you to our ocean." From next to her, Dynamene sneered slightly.

Grover bowed. "I am Grover, and this is my companion, Percy."

Pherusa paused slightly, but smiled. "How lovely to meet both of you. It's a relief to see friendly faces; they are in short supply right now."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"The war, of course," she responded airily. "All these ghastly ships are crossing our waters. The soldiers aren't very much to look at, either. Well, most of them, at least." She patted Dynamene on the shoulder. "So you can understand why my sister was a bit…forceful to begin with. The fighting is leagues away, of course, but we still like to be safe."

From Percy's left, a door swung open and Annabeth walked onto the deck, followed by a pair of nereids. She looked very annoyed.

"What's going on?" she demanded. "Who are these people?"

Percy turned to look at Pherusa, expecting her to introduce herself. Instead, both of the nereids were looking at Annabeth strangely, their blue irises seeming to swirl like whirlpools. After a second, Pherusa started, grinning. "Hello! Are you a demigod, as well?"

Annabeth frowned, off put by their pause. Percy had sensed it too, a strange tension when she had appeared. "I am," she said finally. "And this is my ship. What are you doing on it?"

"Oh, we were just having a look," Pherusa replied. "We always see the bottoms of ships, but rarely get to step on deck themselves. It's a bit strange, isn't it?"

Dynamene nodded in agreement. "The rocking is…new to us."

Percy clapped his hands, smiling unsurely. "Well, you've seen it. Now, we really should be-"

"A word of advice." Dynamene looked at him sternly. "The son of Poseidon you may be, but that will not protect you here. Poseidon's hold weakens further from the mainland, and sea monsters rarely respect the wishes of the Olympians. Further, some of the lesser sea gods have sensed weakness in the Council and have taken up against your father." She cast her gaze on Annabeth. "I cannot think of a worse time for you to cross."

"Forgive my sister: she tends to be overdramatic." Pherusa shook her head, smiling. "I've always said she was born for the stage!" She chuckled at her own joke. "Well, it looks like you all have _very_ important business to get back to. We'll be out of your way, then. It was a pleasure to meet you!" She nodded to Percy then turned around and walked towards the edge of the ship, followed by Dynamene. She gave one last wave before grabbing onto the railing and jumping off the the ship and into the water. The other nereids jumped off as well, though Percy didn't hear any splashes from their landings. When he peered over the side, the water was empty.

"That was…interesting," Grover noted.

Annabeth crossed her arms. "I don't know; something seemed off with them."

"I noticed that, too," Percy said, frowning. "But it can't be _too_ bad, can it? They didn't look that threatening."

She sighed. "We'll see." She walked off, shaking her head.

Worried, but without any idea of what to do, Percy decided to go back to what he had been doing. He talked to Grover as they wandered around the ship, looking over the railings and helping out the crew. An hour later, they were gazing out at the ocean when Grover turned to look at him.

"Oh, I just remembered; we've met a nereid before."

Percy turned, surprised. "We have? When?"

Grover frowned slightly, trying to recall. "She was a minor one, I think. You know that girl who was hanging around the docks that time? Last spring."

Percy's eyes widened. " _No_. She was a nereid?"

He nodded. "You remember?"

"Only because you were staring at her the entire day! I thought you liked her."

Grover looked back to the ocean, blushing. "That, too."

Now that Percy thought about it, the girl _had_ looked a lot like Pherusa and Dynamene. He wondered how many times he had unknowingly met someone from that world, and asked Grover as much.

"Well, there's obviously going to be a lot of our kind in a big city like London," Grover said knowingly. "I know the blacksmith is a cyclops-"

"Mary's _father_?" Percy asked, astonished.

"No, his assistant. John, his name is. Big guy, you know?"

He nodded slowly, remembering. The few times he had gone to the blacksmith, he had seen a hulking figure working in the shop, hammering loudly. Percy had never seen the man's face, but he had been built like a tree, and very intimidating. "Huh," he breathed out contemplatively.

"You heard what happened to Finn Brady?"

"His leg was bitten off by a dog, wasn't it?"

"It wasn't a dog. It was a chimera: a big, snarling monster with three heads. He was lucky to survive. Oh, there's Sister Catherine-"

" _Stop_ ," Percy said, shocked. Sister Catherine was a nun from the local convent, a wizened old woman who wore a long habit that trailed behind her and walked with a wooden cane. He had often seen her on the street, helping some of the more unfortunate with food or drink. She had given Percy a basket of food after hearing about his mother. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's a centaur," Grover said, smiling.

Percy gaped at him. "You're _joking_. How can she hide an entire horse body?"

"She hides it underneath her robes and her crooked back. Some magic, too. It's the same as how Chiron hides his body with his wheelchair."

"That's ridiculous."

Grover let out a laugh. "The grocer, he's-"

He stopped as the ship suddenly listed to the side, causing them to grab onto the railings tightly. Percy heard the sound of cracking wood as the hull ran into something. Soon the ship stabilized, and they started running towards the deck.

"What was that?" Percy asked frantically.

"I don't know!"

They stumbled onto the deck, where objects were flying everywhere as the crew ran around panicking. Another blow hit the ship from the other side, causing it to groan and list.

Percy ran to the edge of the ship and saw a large fin retreat into the ocean quickly.

"Is that a shark?" he asked incredulously.

"Probably not!"

Percy heard a muffled roar from under the water as a giant fish emerged and charged towards them again. It was almost same length as the _Owl_ , and its eyes were filled with a singular purpose that was strange to see in an animal. Along its sides, rows of fins worked as oars to propel it forward.

They shouted as the fish rammed the ship again, sending a shock through the deck. Then it disappeared under the waves, waiting for its next strike.

Percy was holding Riptide, though he didn't see how much good a sword would do in this situation. He would have to jump into the water to fight the monster, and he was most definitely _not_ doing that.

Annabeth ran up to the deck and stopped next to them, eyes wide. "What's happening? Are we under attack?"

"It's the skolopendra!" Grover said, terrified.

Her face blanched. "You're sure?"

"Fairly sure, yes!"

Another blow from the side. Percy grabbed onto the railing to steady himself. "We're going to sink at this rate!"

"We have to think of something." Annabeth took a deep breath. "What can we use against a giant fish?"

Percy was about to suggest a giant fishing rod when she suddenly snapped her fingers, looking like she had an idea. "Oh!" Then she frowned, disappointed. "Oh."

"What is it?"

Annabeth cursed under her breath, then turned and started moving towards the back of the ship. Percy and Grover followed, confused. "Captain!" she called out loudly.

Soon, the captain's hat came bobbing towards them, visibly shaking. When the captain faced them, however, he drew himself up, lifting the hat higher.

"I need you to stop the ship," Annabeth commanded. "We're going down."

" _Down_?" Percy asked. "How?"

She pointed towards a small boat that was attached to a pulley system. It looked like any row boat, though the hull was plated with celestial bronze. "My mother likes to hunt whales just to spite Poseidon." She turned back to the captain. "We need some men to lower the boat. The harpoons are in there already, yes?"

The hat nodded, then straightened as if he was saluting before running off.

"Hold on," Percy said, raising his hands. "You want us to go into the water with that monster?"

Annabeth was already clambering onto the whaleboat. "What else is there? We're all close-range fighters."

"This is-" A particularly large shock went through the ship, knocking them off balance.

"We have to go, now!" She was rifling through the boat's storage, taking out oars and running them through the joints.

"We can't-"

Annabeth whirled around, looking down at him. "Are you a son of Poseidon, or not? This is your territory. _You_ should be the one leading this, not me! Now get in the boat, and let's go!"

Percy gaped, surprised. Annabeth looked away with a huff and resumed her preparations. With a scared bleat, Grover climbed onto the boat as well. After a second of indecision, Percy shook his head and jumped in.

"If we die, I'm blaming you," he said as he started to stack the bronze harpoons into a pile.

"That's fine."

Percy jolted as the boat began to move, the cranks on the deck being turned by some of the crewmates. The boat slowly lowered closer to the water before being dropped the last few feet with a splash. They picked up the oars and began to row around the side of the _Owl_ , moving towards the skolopendra as it reared to attack again.


	27. Surprises

The water churned around their small boat as they neared the skolopendra, its quick movements sending waves through the sea. Now that the ship had stopped, the monster was attacking it with full force, slamming into its side before backing up and storming again. Each blow caused the _Owl_ to groan and turn, but the hull remained intact.

Percy swallowed heavily as they approached, seeing how large the monster was compared to them. The skolopendra could easily overturn their boat with a flick of its large tail, leaving them swimming in the ocean. Once they were close enough, Annabeth let go of her oars and stood up, holding one of the harpoons in her hand. Percy followed suit, gripping his weapon tightly. The bronze spear felt surprisingly light, and he hefted it over his shoulder, ready to throw. Behind them, Grover kept rowing them closer to the skolopendra.

"Wait for the right moment," Annabeth called. "We can't afford to miss."

"Oh, good; I was planning on missing, thanks for straightening that out." She flashed him a dirty look. "What's stopping it from capsizing us immediately?"

"You, hopefully. If you've any Poseidon magic, now's the time."

Percy eyed the enormous fish warily. "I think we're on our own."

She smiled grimly, tapping her harpoon anxiously. "Ready," she called out. They were very close to the skolopendra now, close enough for Percy to see the individual scales that rippled along the monster's skin and shone in the light. Large hairs were sticking out of the fish's face, giving it the appearance of having an impressive mustache. It hadn't noticed their small craft yet, still focused on ramming the _Owl_ heavily.

"Now!" Annabeth yelled as they let loose their harpoons, aiming for the monster's side. The spears embedded themselves deep into the skolopendra, and dust began to dissolve into the sea water.

Whatever hope Percy had gained at the monster's cry of pain left him as it turned to face them

and swam threateningly towards them, its tail turning the water to froth. A bubbling roar sounded from under the waves, sending vibrations under Percy's feet.

Percy's face paled as the monster approached rapidly. "Uh, what do we d-"

He was cut off as the skolopendra slammed into their boat, sending them flying out of the water. Percy flipped in the air, waving his arms wildly in shock. He hit the water with a splash, extremely disoriented.

Even though he was in the middle of the ocean, the water felt fairly warm, and when he opened his mouth he breathed in rather than drowning instantly. Percy reoriented himself, looking around him quickly. Next to him was the hull of the _Owl_ , floating in the water. Below him was a massive, dark chasm that, he presumed, led to the ocean floor. The broken remnants of their whaling boat floated around him, bits of wood and rope clogging the water. The skolopendra was nowhere to be seen.

Above him, Grover's goat legs were working furiously as he treaded water. A distance away, Annabeth was similarly floating, though her kicks were wild and erratic and she seemed to be struggling. Frowning, he speeded over to her and emerged onto the surface. "Are you alright?"

Annabeth was flailing about, desperately trying to keep her head above water. She grabbed onto him instinctively, dragging both of them under for a few confusing seconds until he managed to swim up, moving his arms and legs quickly. "What was that? What's wrong with you?"

Annabeth clung to him fiercely, gasping for air after their submersion. Her hair was plastered around her face. "I… _really_ don't like the water," she gasped. She pointed to a large piece of wood that was floating by. "Put me there."

Percy swam over and transferred her to the debris, which she clung to tightly as well as she kicked wildly. He swam around her using just his legs, head cocked. "Can you not swim?"

"What does it look like?" Even with the piece of wood helping her, keeping her head above the water seemed like it was taking all of her energy. "Where's the skolopendra?"

"I don't know; I didn't see it."

"You'll see it when it eats both of us," she replied tersely. "We need to get back to the ship, and…" She stuttered to a stop, lost for ideas.

"Actually, I think I've got something," he said. "Can you get back to Grover on your own?"

She frowned. "Are you about to do what I think you are?"

"Probably." He went back under the water, propelling himself rapidly with each kick of his legs. He took out Riptide and held it as he swam down, searching for the skolopendra.

"Oi!" he shouted into the water. "Where are you, hook bait?"

Silence followed his incredible insult, and he swam in place for a while, glancing around him. Suddenly, from the darkness beneath him rose the enormous figure of the skolopendra, its many-toothed maw gaping open. He quickly dodged away, feeling the rush of water that followed the creature.

The monster retreated, flicking its tail. Although Percy could see clearly through the water, his vision was limited and blurred after a distance. He kept imagining movement just outside of his eyesight. From his side, the skolopendra made another pass, rushing by him quickly. Instinctively, Percy swung his sword, embedding Riptide into the monster's side. The skolopendra gave a roar of pain, and he felt his shoulder almost come out of its socket as he was pulled along, barely holding on to the sword's handle. Dust poured out of the wound, dissolving into the water around them.

He tightened his grip as the monster thrashed around, working its tail furiously. It shrieked, trying to buck him off. Percy ground his teeth as he reached for one of the fins with his free hand and grabbed it. The appendage felt slick in his fingers, and wriggled unnervingly as he tried to get a better footing. Water whipped by his face as the skolopendra circled wildly, trying vainly to bite him.

"What the hell are you doing? Get off of me!"

Percy heard this in his mind, surprising him. He tightened his hold on Riptide, feeling it loosen from the monster's insides.

"Damn kid!"

The skolopendra suddenly dove, pulling Percy into the deep. The water darkened as they went further down, the color draining from the surroundings. The water chilled, though just enough to be vaguely uncomfortable.

After a few seconds, Percy blinked and his vision adjusted. He could see the skolopendra, though everything appeared as if it lacked color, a plateau of grays as they approached the ocean floor. Strange-looking fish Percy had never seen before drifted quietly, feeding from the ground. The fish erupted in shouts as the skolopendra rushed in, bellowing furiously.

The skolopendra slammed Percy into the ground, knocking the wind out of him and further embedding Riptide into its flesh. Forced to let go of his sword, Percy swam away and hid in a cave floored with soft sand, breathing heavily. A family of crabs scuttled out as he entered, grumbling under their breath.

Outside, the skolopendra raged, turning the water to froth as it swept back and forth angrily. It searched the area, angrily peering down any outcroppings or tunnels for Percy.

"There you are!"

Percy gasped as the enormous face of the skolopendra filled the mouth of the cave, its nostril hairs reaching down to the floor. Before he could react, the monster reached forward with the tendril on its head and grabbed him, pulling him from the cave while constricting him. For a moment, Percy contemplated the irony of being strangled underwater.

He struggled to bring his arms up, tried to reach the necklace that had reappeared and was floating in front of him. The skolopendra's hold on him was ironclad, twisting him left and right as it examined him. Its rows of teeth were bared, showing thin, sharp spikes ready to consume him.

Fearful of being eaten, Percy focused on the water around him and reminded himself that this was supposed to be his element. He concentrated on his surroundings, screwing his eyes shut. As he neared the fish's maw, Percy felt a strong force underneath them, a large stream of boiling water barely held back by the ground. He focused on that stream, willing it to erupt.

When he opened his eyes, Percy saw a jet of steam shoot out of the ground, engulfing him and the skolopendra, who shrieked in pain. Smoke seemed to pour out of the fissure and obscured his vision as he felt the monster's grip on him slacken. He quickly kicked himself free, feeling his skin tingle from exposure to the superheated vent. The skolopendra continued to roar in agony, its entire body covered in burns and scald marks. It swam away with a sound that resembled a half-swallowed cry, its oar-like fins moving weakly.

Breathing heavily, Percy floated where he was, examining the cloud of debris that was coming out of the new geyser. Being this close felt like he was standing in front of a raging fire, and he winced at the heat. He pounded his feet against the sandy ground and jumped up, shooting through the water towards the surface. The water began to lighten, and after a minute of swimming he emerged next to the _Owl_ , narrowing his eyes at the sudden light.

From the deck of the ship rose a cry, and he heard a splash as a rope was dropped down next to him. He grabbed it and allowed himself to be pulled onboard, his shoulders still sore from holding onto the skolopendra. He climbed over the railing and stumbled onto the deck, dripping with seawater. Grover and Annabeth were waiting for him, similarly drenched.

Grover pulled him into a tight hug, grinning. "You made it! Did you kill it?"

Percy frowned. "Ah, not exactly. But I think we don't have to worry about it."

"You're pink," Annabeth noted, pointing at him.

Percy looked down: his skin was a harsh red color, as if he'd been boiled. Which he had been, actually. He raised his eyebrows. "That's…unfortunate." He examined his hand, curious. It didn't hurt, but he looked like he had the worst sunburn ever. He shook his hands, and water flew from his fingers. "I think I need to dry off."

Annabeth sighed. "Me too." She was shivering slightly from the cold. "I'll tell the captain we can leave now."

Percy went to his cabin near the back of the ship, shaking his hair like a dog to dry off. His room was small, only fitting a hammock and a writing desk. A porthole above the desk lit up the space.

He stepped into the room, taking off his jacket. The cloth was damp, and he worried that he had ruined Hestia's gift to him. He hung the coat on the back of his chair, wondering if he could magic the water off of it.

As he thought this, he felt something hard hit him over the head, and he jumped forward, shouting in pain. From behind him, Dynamene emerged from the shadows, frowning. She held a jagged piece of coral in her hand.

"You've a thick skull," she said, disappointed.

"Damn! What was that?" Percy winced as he felt blood run down his head from where the coral had cut him.

The nereid sneered, her bright blue eyes swirling. She stepped towards Percy menacingly, weapon raised. He fearfully backed into the chair, clutching the desk to steady himself. As she approached, he leapt forward and went to strike her, his fist connecting with her jaw painfully. Dynamene's head swiveled from the impact, and she cried out in pain as she grabbed his arm tightly. After a few seconds of grappling, Percy ended up being pinned to the wall, the nereid's fingers digging into his forearm.

"Quiet," she hissed. Dynamene was giving him a very intense expression. "Now, I'm going to tell you this once: this is the end, demigod. You're going to come with me, nice and calmly." She leaned closer. "Don't do anything stupid."

From next to them, the door to his room opened. Both of them turned to see what had happened. "Sorry to ask, but my fur takes _forever_ to dry, and-" Grover stopped dead in the doorway as he saw what was happening. "Uh…"

Dynamene snarled in annoyance. "Stay back!" She pressed Percy to the wall more tightly. "I _will_ kill him!"

"Grover, help!" Percy thrust his head forward, hitting Dynamene in the face. She reeled back in pain, grunting in anger. Percy wrested himself from her grip and ran next to Grover, bringing out Riptide.

Dynamene looked at them angrily, slightly worried now that there were two of them. She paused for a second, weighing her options. Cursing under her breath, Dynamene picked up the chair and threw it at Percy, causing him to duck out of the way quickly. The chair smashed against the wall and shattered, showering him with bits of wood.

When he looked back, Dynamene had disappeared, leaving behind a puddle of water. Percy cursed, looking around frantically.

"What was that?" Grover asked, panicked.

"...I don't know," Percy responded. "But I don't like-" He started suddenly. "There might be more of them!"

He rushed towards the door and grabbed the handle, nearly getting pulled off his feet as it opened from the other side. He was face-to-face with Annabeth, who looked as frantic as he felt.

"Thank the gods, you're both safe!" she exclaimed. "There are intruders on board; the nereids-"

"We know," he responded, breathing heavily. "One of them nearly killed me."

She nodded, unsurprised. "Me, too. I've got one of them belowdecks."

" _What_?"

"We should go."

They entered the darkened hull of the ship, where a swinging lantern illuminated crates full of supplies. Tied to one of these crates, sitting on the ground, was Pherusa, smiling idly at them. Her hair was a mess, covering her face and making her look slightly deranged. Her dress was cut in several places and thin golden blood pooled around her. She straightened as they approached, cocking her head.

"Ha!" She laughed when she saw Percy. "What did you do to your face? Too much time in the sun?"

"Why did you try to kill us?" Percy asked aggressively.

Her grin widened. "Straight to business, then? I was wondering when you would get to that."

"Answer me."

She leaned forward as much as she could. "The ocean is dangerous: all sorts of nasty things lay beneath the murky waters. You should know that better than anyone, son of Poseidon." She shook her head, trying to move the hair out of her face. "And sailing around in Athena's ship, on Athena's quest—well, that's just asking for trouble."

"You attacked us because of Athena?" Annabeth asked. "Why?"

Pherusa regarded her cooly. "Haven't you heard? We're at _war_ , child."

"The revolution?"

She gave a small laugh. "The American Revolution. The mortals make such a big deal out of it, and the gods bicker over it like always. Two civil wars: one on Earth, one in the heavens. And neither of them matter. The ocean is rising, children, and soon it will engulf even the peak of Olympus."

"What are you talking about? What is this about the ocean?" She thought for a second, frowning. "Poseidon is behind this, isn't he?"

"Poseidon! That's a good joke!" Pherusa smirked, her eyes swirling quickly. "Poseidon's too busy playing sailor for the British to notice his domain's crumbling around him. Honestly, the man's practically got the Union Jack pasted on his forehead."

"Then who keeps trying to kill us?"

"His son." She looked at Percy and smiled. "Not you; the one who matters. Triton."

Percy blinked. "His son?"

Pherusa's smile widened. "Your brother. Well, half-brother _really_ , but I've found that the mortal parts of demigods rarely count for much. The godly genes are…stronger. Better."

"...Genes?"

"Oh, I forgot: you lot haven't gotten to that part yet." She grinned. "In any case, Triton's on a warpath. Once he has the sword, he will have the power to overtake the other gods, especially the murderer Athena."

"Murderer?" Annabeth repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Pallas." Percy remembered his dream, and the voice that had talked to him. Annabeth looked at him, surprised.

Pherusa gave a short laugh. "That is correct. Triton is _pissed_ at Athena, hated her ever since she drove a spear through his daughter's heart." She eyed Annabeth slyly, waiting for a reaction. "Well, that's completely understandable, don't you think?"

Annabeth frowned, not used to being the one missing information. "I…what?"

"And now he's going after you lot, out of pure spite for Athena and everything she stands for."

"I am not my mother," Annabeth said firmly.

Pherusa shook her head at Annabeth's naivety. "That's where we disagree. Like I said, godly power runs through you much more than whatever some hapless mortal tried to force his way in. And Triton likes the poetic irony of killing Athena's daughter like she did his. Nemesis would be proud."

Annabeth froze, eyes wide. The revelation that a god was actively trying to kill her was obviously distressing.

"But why would Triton try to hurt me?" Percy asked. "I'm his brother."

"You lost your father's protection the moment you set off on this quest. Traitors do not enjoy the benefits of family."

He made a disgusted noise in his throat. "And he sent you to assassinate us."

Pherusa gave her a dazzling smile. "I'd like to think I came pretty close, too."

"What makes you think you can defeat the gods?"

"It's a simple equation. The gods are tiring themselves out over this silly revolution, throwing all they have at each other so one group of mortals can feel better about themselves. Once the dust clears, we'll go in to sweep up the pieces. With the sword, it'll be a sure thing." She leaned against the crate. "I'm sorry for trying to kill you three, but one has to look after themselves over all else. And I'm doing that by getting into the good graces of those who are going to win this war."

"Well, you failed," he interjected. "Your sister ran away, and we have you captive."

Pherusa let out a loud laugh, shaking her head. "As if that was some great accomplishment! Congratulations, you beat two untrained minor gods. I _told_ Dynamene that we weren't fighters, but she's always been a brash one." She grinned. "And as for having me captive…" She suddenly stood, the ropes tying her down falling around her feet. "You really shouldn't have let me talk." Percy took a step back, surprised.

She smirked, regarding them all. "Well, children, this has been fun. And as much as I was looking forward to having that one-" She pointed at Annabeth. "Slit my throat, I really must be going. Important business, and all that." Pherusa gave them a broad smile, her skin starting to glow bright blue. "Goodbye, then."

"Look away!" Grover cried. Percy turned away as Pherusa's form brightened until the entire room was filled with blue light. When he looked back, she was gone.


	28. Shipwrecked

"We need a plan."

Percy frowned, sitting back in his chair. Next to him, Grover looked into the flickering light of the lantern illuminating the small space.

Annabeth was pacing back and forth, her hands up as if she was holding something. "What do we know?"

"Triton's trying to kill us." Percy folded his arms.

"Because we're on Athena's quest. And he hates Athena because she killed his daughter." She looked at him. "You knew about that."

"Uhh…" Percy sat up. "I had a dream…" He explained how he had seen Pallas' death, and repeated what Triton had told him.

Annabeth frowned. "Yes, I've heard about that. But that was an accident, wasn't it?"

"I don't think Triton cares."

Grover frowned. "So, now what? We can't take on a god."

Annabeth sighed. "We have to keep on with the quest, Triton notwithstanding. We knew whoever took the sword would be powerful; now we just know who they are."

"How do you plan to get the sword?"

Percy shrugged. "I think we should stick to the first plan: get to the colonies, steal the sword from the British forces, then bring it to the rebels. Someone's bound to have heard of the sword's capture."

"Your plan sounds an awful lot like making it up as you go along," Annabeth noted.

"It does," he agreed. "But I like it anyways."

She frowned, thinking. "I need more information on Triton. Is there any way you can ask your father about him?"

"I don't know; he's only ever reached out to me. I'm not sure if it works both ways."

"At least try, will you? I don't want to be blind while we're on Triton's territory."

"I'll try."

She nodded, running a hand through her hair distractedly. "I'm…going to go back to my room to think. Get me if you need anything." She nodded at both of them before leaving the room, causing the flame of the lantern to sputter as she passed.

"I don't like this," Grover said when she had left. "I knew this quest was dangerous, but…" He seemed to be at a loss for words. "Pherusa was talking about a war among the gods. Triton is going to _attack Olympus_. This is _way_ bigger than us."

"I'm not a fan of it either; I may be new to this, but fighting between gods doesn't sound good. All we can hope for is that we manage to get the sword back before Triton gets his hands on it."

"And if we don't?"

"Then we hide out in the Colonies until everything calms down. Apparently the gods don't have power there."

Grover huffed. "Leave behind everyone we know and live half a world away?"

" _If_ we have to." Percy put his hands on the small table, standing up. "It's too stuffy in here," he announced. "I'm going for some air." He left the room, taking in a refreshing breath of ocean breeze as he stepped onto the deck. He held onto the ship's railing and looked off into the water, contemplating their next move.

* * *

Three weeks later, Percy was once again holding onto the railing as he peered into the horizon, where dark clouds had started gathering.

"Looks like a storm's coming," he said, sure of this fact.

"Should we be worried?" Grover asked from beside him, squinting to see the faraway clouds.

"Probably not." Percy pushed himself to his feet from the railing. "It seems pretty far away to hit us."

Grover sighed, relieved. "You would know, I suppose."

His trust proved to be misplaced, however, as by that night rain was pouring down in buckets, and waves were throwing the _Owl_ around as if it was a toy. Percy was holed up in his room, watching idly as his candle's flame moved to keep vertical as the ship swayed back and forth. Wind and water whipped by his porthole, the sound only slightly blocked by the glass. Despite the fact that the ship was rocking dangerously to the point of capsizing, Percy did not feel the slightest bit nauseous as he laid on his hammock, adjusting to the ship's movements automatically. He was fairly sure that the ship wasn't going to sink; but then he hadn't thought that the storm was going to hit them at all.

Percy started as the door flew open with a crash and the captain of the ship came whirling into the room, his hat bobbing madly. The captain was noticeably upset, his own wind rivaling the gale outside. He seemed to be trying to tell Percy something.

"What?" Percy said, getting off of his hammock. "What is it? I can't understand you."

The captain made an incomprehensible gesture then flew out of the room, putting out Percy's candle as he left. Frowning, Percy stood up and began to make his way down the hall, grabbing onto walls for support as the ship tilted, following the captain as he went outside.

Percy pushed open the door to the deck with difficulty, nearly being pushed back as the wind tried to force the door closed again. He stepped out onto the deck, cold and windswept but not wet: he had learned that he was able to prevent water from touching him if he wished it. Rain was definitely pouring down, however; though he was still dry, he had to step carefully or risk slipping and falling.

The captain swirled silently through the storm, picking up water until it looked like a small hurricane was floating on the deck. Percy hesitantly followed, moving slowly so as not to walk into anything.

"Is there a point to this?" he shouted over the wind. The ship lurched dramatically, and Percy suddenly had a very clear thought as he grabbed onto a piece of rope to steady himself: they were going to sink. He knew this as intrinsically as when he knew he was hungry, or thirsty. Cursing, he made his way to the railing where the captain was standing, his hat remaining firmly planted on his head despite the wind. The tricorn was faced away from the ship, towards the dark ocean below them. Percy looked out, wondering what was happening.

In the distance, he spotted a faint dot: a light source, flickering as the storm obscured his vision.

"What is that?" he asked. "That can't be the Colonies."

Characteristically, the captain did not answer him.

"Can you bring us towards that?" he pointed to the light.

The captain faced him, hat lowered, as if asking for permission. _Can I?_

"Do it! We'll sink otherwise!"

The swirl of water nodded then set off towards the ship's wheel. From beside Percy, the door to the deck slammed open as Grover and Annabeth staggered forward, clutching the door frame for dear life.

"What's happening!" Annabeth shouted over the wind. Her hair was whipping around her face as they stumbled towards the railing, grabbing onto anything they could for balance.

The ship made a sudden hard turn, causing Percy's legs to fall under him as he clutched onto the railing with dear life. He heard loud crashes and thuds from belowdecks as crates and other large objects fell over. Wrenching himself to his feet, Percy was caught between screaming in terror and shouting with joy.

The light in the distance became closer and closer as they approached. Suddenly, Percy felt himself being pushed forward as the entire ship was launched by a wave. They were pushed forward until Percy's feet fell out from under him again as the ship suddenly ramped up something with a horrible scraping sound. The deck tilted to an almost vertical slope as Percy lost purchase from the railing and flew off of the ship, landing with a splash into the ocean below. After a moment of confusion, he found his way back to the surface and looked around. He had landed very close to an island, and he started swimming over to the beach.

Groaning, Percy crawled onto the sand. He must have lost concentration during the accident, because his clothes were now soaked with water, his damp hair falling down in front of his face. The storm was considerable lighter now that they were on land, though it was still pouring.

Next to him, Grover and Annabeth staggered onto the beach as well, breathing heavily.

"Where are we?" Grover asked, looking around.

"We crashed," Percy responded. "I don't know where."

"We _crashed_ a boat?"

"I'm not happy about it, either." Percy looked back, where the dark outline of the ship was resting at an impossible angle off of a rock. "Is everyone alright?"

The other two nodded, walking up to him. "Where _are_ we?" Annabeth asked, shocked. "We're in the middle of the Atlantic—there shouldn't be any islands."

"People discover new islands all the time," he said, looking up into the forest. "I saw a light from here before we landed: there has to be some settlement that can help us."

"Are you sure?" Grover asked, peering into the darkness. Whatever light Percy had seen from the water was gone now, probably blocked by the dense forest.

"Wait, look at that." Percy pointed to the forest, where a light was meandering through the trees towards them. They heard the sound of brush being moved as a figure holding a lantern stepped onto the beach, looking at them.

"What's this?" asked a young voice. "Oi, you need some help?"

"Hello!" Percy called out. "We're in a spot of trouble, yeah."

"It sure looks like it!" The figure stepped forward, revealing a slender young man with curly hair. He was wearing a simple tunic, seemingly unaffected by the rain. "What are you doing there?"

"We got lost in the storm," Percy explained. "Are there any settlements on the island?"

"Settlements? No, nothing like that here. Is that your ship?" He pointed to the rock, as if he had just noticed it. "It's not looking too good, is it?"

"No, it's not," Percy affirmed.

The man bit his lip, thinking. "You seem nice enough. Tell you what, do you want to come inside for a bit?"

"Inside?" Annabeth asked, suspicious.

"Yes, inside. We've got a roof, at least, which is more than can be said for you right now." He gestured with his lantern for them to join him. "Come, strangers."

Slightly suspicious but wanting to get warm, Percy nodded. He held his necklace in his hand as he followed the man, Annabeth and Grover walking next to him.

The man looked sideways at them as he walked, holding his lantern high. "My name is Palaemon; pleasure to meet you." He bowed his head respectfully. "What are you lot doing in the middle of the ocean?" he asked conversationally.

"I could ask you the same," Annabeth answered. "This island isn't charted on any maps."

"Maps," he said derisively. "A poor substitute for the real thing. Does land suddenly pop into being once some lout with a pen writes it down?" He stomped the ground, sending up a splash of mud. "This island's been here for centuries: it's not my fault you've never heard of it." He grinned at them. "'Course, I've mapped this island over twenty times since we moved here. I've got the prints in my room: I should show you them some time."

They followed Palaemon across what seemed like the entire island, until Percy's legs were sore from exertion. Eventually they walked into a clearing where a snug cottage was resting, a calm plume of smoke wafting out of the stone chimney.

"Come in," Palaemon said, pushing the front door open and walking in. Percy followed, entering the home with an immediate blast of warm air as he stepped in.

A roaring fireplace was burning across the room, causing embers to spark and land dangerously close to the wool carpet. A large table was set in front of the fireplace, laden with the remnants of dinner as well as various items that had been laid on it, including a wooden toy soldier and a half-sewn net. To the left was a hall that led to a set of rooms on either side.

Palaemon shook his head, sending water drops flying. "We've got company," he announced, approaching a middle-aged woman sitting at the table and kissing her on the forehead. She looked up from her work, a string of pearls she was lashing together. Her face was startlingly pale, as if she had never seen the sun in her life. "This is my mother, Leucothea."

"And who are they?" Leucothea asked, not unkindly. She looked at Palaemon, who shrugged in response.

"This lot was in trouble," he said, gesturing at them vaguely. "Thought it was only decent to invite them in."

" _Tch._ Decent indeed." She shook her head, standing up. "And I suppose I'll have to feed them?"

"I'm sure they'd appreciate it," he responded, flashing a grin.

Annabeth cleared her throat, gaining their hosts' attention. "I apologize for any trouble," she started. "But we were…shipwrecked, on the shore here."

"We'd appreciate any help you can give us," Percy added. "If you have a barn, we could-"

"Nonsense. If we're going to have guests, we might as well do it right." Leucothea gestured for them to come further into the room. "Sit by the fire: you looked absolutely soaked." She pulled up three chairs for them to use, Palaemon standing behind her with a wide grin. She smacked him on the shoulder. "You—go get the room ready for the guests _you_ brought."

Palaemon strided to the back of the cottage, humming to himself.

"I apologize for my son," Leucothea said, shaking her head. "It's been a while since we've have visitors, and a shipwreck besides…" She sighed. "Well, he's very excitable." She handed them each a woolen blanket for them to dry off. Percy wrapped it around himself, shivering.

"We appreciate the help nonetheless," Grover said.

"Hm." She nudged the fire with an iron poker, sending out a spray of embers. "You _were_ in a shipwreck, you said?"

"...Yes."

"And it's just the three of you? There were no other survivors?" Leucothea was holding the poker at her side, her face passive.

Percy frowned: he knew it would be difficult to explain why they were the only passengers on the ship. "We don't know what happened to them. We had just managed to get to shore before your son found us."

"Yes, he has a knack for that." She turned to the hall. "Are you done in there yet!" she shouted.

The door slammed open as Palaemon's face appeared in the hallway. "Almost! Give me a minute!" He quickly retreated back into the room.

Leucothea sighed, shaking her head. "That boy will be the death of me. Go—" She motioned for Percy and Grover to get up. "Get in there anyway; you need to change soon if you don't want to catch a cold." She looked at Annabeth. "You can change in my room. You three can sleep in the guest room: it'll be the first time it's been used for that purpose in years."

"Thank you for all the help," Percy said, standing up.

Leucothea waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. Get some sleep, alright?" She moved over to the table and went back to working on the pearls, sticking her tongue out in concentration.

Percy walked to the room and pushed open the door, revealing a cluttered office with piles of papers, tools, and sports equipment laying around. Two beds were shoved into the corner, their covers stiff from disuse. Palaemon was facing away from the door, cleaning up a pile of papers on the floor.

"Sorry about the mess." Palaemon shoved some papers into a drawer, slamming it closed. "I kind of took over this room as a study of sorts, so I've all kinds of things lying around." He took a final glance around the room, frowning. "I'll do a more proper cleaning tomorrow. In the meantime, just…don't touch anything." He reached into a dresser and pulled out a large pile of blankets, obscuring his face as he carried them. He dropped the pile on one of the beds. "Here, you can have these. It gets cold at night. There are some extra sets of clothes in the dresser, if you want." He gave them a wide grin, balancing on the heels of his feet. "I'm so glad the Fates dropped you here. It's been terribly long since we've had guests."

"...Thank you," Percy said, unsure of how to respond.

Palemon started to move towards the door. "Alright, then." He nearly fell over a ball that was on the floor, waving his arms in the air as he caught himself. He smiled at them sheepishly. "Good night!"


End file.
